Chapter 78 Chapter Forty-Four

Of course Zbyszko didn't do what he said and left immediately.On the contrary, after about a week, he recovered completely and could not stay in bed any longer.Matsko told him that it was now their turn to go to Zgorzlitri to thank Jagienka for her kindness.So one day Zbyszko had a good bath and decided to ride there at once.He ordered his servants to find exquisite clothes from the suitcase and replace them with their usual clothes.He curls his hair carefully.This was no easy task, as Zbyszko's hair was thick and fell over his shoulders like a mane. Knights wear their hair in a mushroom-shaped hairnet every day, which is very convenient in wartime to avoid excessive friction from the helmet; but when attending weddings or visiting ladies, they have to tie it up The beams are beautifully tied, and white wax is often applied to make the hair strong and smooth.Zbyszko was trying to do it this way now, but the two maids were not used to it, and they never got it right.After the bath his hair was so matted and matted like a thatched roof that they could not straighten it even with one of those horn combs which had been seized from the Frisian knights, and which a maid had even brought him from the stables afterwards. Even without the horse comb, it still doesn't work.At last Zbyszko became anxious and lost his temper; at that moment Macko suddenly entered the room, accompanied by Jagienka.

"Praise Jesus Christ!" cried the girl. "Eternal life!" replied Zbyszko radiantly. "That's wonderful! We were about to set off for Zgorzlitri, and here you are!" Zbyszko's eyes shone with joy; for when he saw Jagienka, he seemed to be looking at something. round the rising sun. Jagienka could not help laughing when he saw Zbyszko leaning over so that two women squatted on the ground with combs, brushing his bushy hair. "Ah! what a big mop!" she cried, her coral-red lips showing her white teeth. "You're like a scarecrow that could scare the birds in a marijuana field or a cherry orchard."

Zbyszko frowned, and said: "We were going to Zgotrilici, and I'm afraid you would not be ashamed to bully the guests in Zgotrilici, but here you can make fun of me as you please. , you've always been happy to do that." "I'd like to tease you?" asked the girl. "My God! I'm here to invite you to dinner, and I'm not making fun of you, I'm making fun of these two women, because if it were me, I would have combed it." "Oh! Neither can you!" "Who combed Yasiq's hair?" "Yasik is your brother," replied Zbyszko.

"you are right!" That's when the experienced old Macko decided to come to their aid. "In noble houses, the young knight's hair is always cut by his sister when it is too long, and the husband's by his wife; but if a knight has neither sisters nor wife, a lady of the noble family does it. Comb, it doesn't matter even if it's a stranger." "Is it really a habit?" asked Jagienka, lowering her eyelids. "Not only at courts in general, but at castles, and even at the king's court," Macko answered. Then he turned to the two maids.

"Since you are all useless, go back to where you live." "Then tell them to bring me a basin of hot water," said the girl. Macko went out with the two maids, as if to hurry them to get water.After a while, he brought a basin of hot water and left as soon as he put it down.Jagienka rubbed Zbyszko's hair vigorously with a wet towel; when it was soft and fell to her shoulders, she took a wooden comb and sat down beside the young knight to comb it further. They were so close to each other, infatuated with each other, but a little embarrassed and silent.At last Jagienka began to straighten his golden curls.Zbyszko felt her raised arms and hands so close to him that he trembled all over, and he managed to restrain himself so as not to wrap her in his arms.

In the silence, only their rapid breathing was heard. "You don't seem very well; what's the matter with you?" asked Jagienka. "Nothing!" replied the young knight. "You're breathing so hard!" "the same as you!" They fell silent again.Jagienka's cheeks were flushed like roses, because she felt that Zbyszko's eyes were fixed on her face; and in order to know why he was so flustered, she asked again: "Why are you staring like that?" "Does that bother you?" "No, I'm just asking." "Jaginka!"

"what?" Zbyszko took a deep breath, sighed again, and moved his lips as if preparing to make a long confession, but it was evident that he had not yet the courage, so he called out again: "Jaginka!" "what……" ... "I have something I dare not say to you!" "Don't be afraid; I'm just an ordinary girl, not a dinosaur!" "Yes, you're not a dinosaur! But Uncle Macko says he's going to marry you..." "He married to marry, but not for himself." She fell silent, as if intimidated by her own words. "By the love of God! My Jagus, what do you think of the matter, Jagus?" cried Zbyszko.

Her eyes suddenly filled with tears, her small mouth began to twitch, and in a voice so low that Zbyszko could hardly hear her, she said: "Father and the abbot thought so...and I—well,—you know!" At these words, a burst of joy burst into his heart like a flame, and he took her in his arms, lifted her up as if her body was as light as a feather, and cried out in a maddened tone. : "Yagos, Yagus! You are my beloved sun; hi, hi!" He yelled so loudly that old Macko, thinking that something had happened, rushed into the room.He was startled when he saw Zbyszko holding Jagienka, because it happened so unexpectedly quickly, and he cried:

"In the name of the Father and the Son! What are you doing, child?" Zbyszko dropped Jagienka and jumped up to him, and the two young men were about to kneel before him, but before they could do so, the old man wrapped his bony arms around them, Push them down with all your might. "Praise God!" he said. "I knew it would turn out like this, and I'm so happy! God bless you, and now I can die in peace! . . . A girl made of gold! . . . God's and man's favorite! . . . Now I have this happiness, and I am not afraid of anything!...God has tested us, but He has also given us joy! I should go to Zgotrilici and let Yashik know about it. Hey! If the old How well Zich is alive! . . . and the abbot! . . . But I embrace you for both of them. I tell you the truth, I love you both. I am ashamed to say how much I love you."

Although usually indifferent, he was so moved that his throat choked, and he kissed Zbyszko and Jagienka on both cheeks; and with tears in his eyes, he said, "like Honey girl!" So he went to the stable, and ordered the saddles to be put up.He walked past the sunflowers in front of the house and looked at the black heart covered with layers of yellow petals; he seemed like a drunk man. "Well, there's a lot of sunflower seeds," he said. "But Bogdaniec's 'Grache' is going to be more!" So he went to the stables, muttering calculations: "Bogdaniec... the estate of the abbot... Spykhov... Mochitori... God always knows where to lead a man! Old Wilk was dying too; Zhuofa is also worth buying...a good field!..."

Jagienka and Zbyszko also went outside at this moment, beaming with joy. "Dear uncle!" Zbyszko called from afar. Macko turned to them, opened his arms, and shouted as if in the woods: "Hey! Hey! Come on!"