Chapter 73 Chapter Thirty-Nine

The next morning Zbyszko was to set off.He was riding a tall war horse, and his relatives and friends surrounded him to see him off.Jagienka stood by the stirrups, her blue blue eyes, sad, silently gazing at the young knight, as if to satiate him before he set off.Macko and Father Kaleb stood in the stirrups on the other side, and beside them stood Halava and Anurka.Zbyszko kept turning his head from one place to another, exchanging with his relatives and friends the customary phrases he used before going on a journey: "I wish you good health!" "Good-bye!" "God guide me." You!" "Time to go!" "Hey! It's time, it's time!"

Zbyszko had said goodbye to Jagienka, embraced her feet, and thanked her for her kindness.But now, looking down at her from the high knight's saddle, he obviously wanted to say something nice to her, because her raised eyes and face clearly expressed the wish for his "return" soon, He was also filled with sincere gratitude to her. As if in answer to her silent entreaty, he said: "Zigus, I treat you like a sister...you know...I won't say any more." "I know; God reward you!" "Don't forget my uncle," "Don't forget too" "As long as I don't die, I will definitely come back."

"Don't die." That was what she had said when Zbyszko had told her in Plotsk that she was going to march.But this time she spoke more emotionally; perhaps to hide her tears, she lowered her head and touched her forehead to Zbyszko's knee. At this time, the three servants were waiting at the gate with their horses loaded with luggage, ready to go on the road, and they sang: The ring will never be lost, A gold ring is never lost: The crow will bring it back;— It will bring it back from the field, Give it back to the girl. "On the road!" Zbyszko ordered. "May God guide you. O Most Holy Mother! . . . "

The clacking of horseshoes on the wooden bridge can be clearly heard.One horse neighed for a while, the others snorted loudly, and the party set off. Jagienka, Macko, the priest, Tolima, the Czech, his wife, and the servants who had remained in Spykhov all came out on the bridge to watch the departing travelers.Father Kaleb blessed them with the cross for a long time, until they disappeared behind the tall alder trees, and then he said: "By this holy name, no misfortune will come to them on the road." Macko added: "Of course, a horse snorting loudly is a good sign." Macko and Jagienka did not stay long in Spykhov either.In less than two weeks, the old knight had made all arrangements with his appointed tenant in Spykhov (the Czech).Then he took a long train of carriages, surrounded by armed servants, and returned with Jagienka to Bogdaniec.The faces of Father Kaleb and old man Tolima were very dissatisfied.

Seriously, Matsko literally emptied Spychoff.But since Zbyszko had left him in charge, no one dared to interfere.If Jagienka hadn't intervened and laughed at him with what he called "a woman's point of view," he would have removed more things; but he still listened to her anyway. They did not remove Danusia's coffin; since Spyhof's estate had not been sold, they thought it necessary, as Zbyszko had wished, for her body to remain with her ancestors.They took with them a great deal of money, and much of the wealth Jurand had won over the Germans in all his wars.Now Macko, looking at the matted wagons coming home full of loads, could not help thinking triumphantly that now he would be able to make Bogdaniec look good.But his sole apprehension of Zbyszko's death in the field spoiled his consolation.But he knew that his young nephew was a skilled knight, and could be counted upon in his triumphant return, and he could not help rejoicing at the thought.

"Perhaps it was God's will," he thought, "that Zbyszko should have first Spychow, then Mochitori, and then all the inheritance left by the abbot. If he returns safely, I will build him a splendid castle at Bogdaniec. Then we shall see! At this moment he remembered that Wilke of Borzodova and Chedan of Rogoff would inevitably intercept him, and he might have to fight them.But the incident could no more frighten him than an old war horse going to battle can frighten him.His health returned; he felt strength all over him.He knew that although those foster men were dangerous, he also knew that they hadn't been trained as knights at all, and it was really easy to defeat them.True, he had recently spoken to Zbyszko to the contrary, but only in order to bring Zbyszko home.

"Hey! I'm a gun and they're just minnows," he thought. "They better not touch me!" There were other things that bothered him.God knows when Zbyszko will return; at the moment he only considers Jagienka his sister, and what if she also considers him only a brother and does not want to wait for his vague return? Then he turned to her and said: "Listen, Yagna, I won't mention Chidden and Wilker, because they're fools and unworthy of you. You're a lady-in-waiting now! Years ago, your dead father said You have comprehended the will of God.1 He also said that if a girl wears a wreath tightly around her neck, it is to find a lad to take it from her head. . . . Needless to say, this lad is neither Chedang, and not Wilk...but what do you think?"

①It means that Jagienka has already matured. "What are you asking me?" "Will you get married?" "Me? I'm going to be a nun!" "Don't talk nonsense! What if Zbyszko comes back?" She shook her head and said, "I'm going to be a nun." "Well. What if he fell in love with you and begged you?" After hearing this, the girl blushed and turned her head towards the field.But the wind was blowing across the field, and carried her whispered answer to Macko: "Then I won't be a nun."