The Knights of the Cross, or, Krzyzacy: Historical Romance
the house, delighted with the bright autumn day, Jagienka came, riding a
black horse; she dismounted and approached Macko, out of breath on
account of fast riding, and rosy as an apple; she said:
"May you be blessed! _Tatulo_ sent me to inquire about your health."
"I am no worse," answered Macko; "and at least I have slept in my own
house."
"But you cannot be comfortable at all, and a sick person needs some
care."
"We are hardened people. It is true that at first there was no comfort;
but we were not hungry. We ordered an ox and two sheep killed, so there
is plenty of meat. The women brought some flour and eggs; the worst is
that we have no dishes."
"Well, I ordered my servants to load two wagons. On one there are two
beds and dishes, and on the other different provisions. There are some
cakes and flour, some salt pork and dried mushrooms; there is a barrel of
beer and one of mead; in fact a little of everything we had in the
house."
Macko, who was grateful for this kindness, caressed Jagienka's head, and
said:
"May God reward your father and you. When our housekeeping improves, we
will return the provisions."
"How clever you are! We are not like the Germans, who take back what they
give."
"Well, so much more may God reward you. Your father told us what a good
housekeeper you are, and that you had taken care of Zgorzelice the whole
year?"
"Yes! If you need anything else, send somebody; but send some one who
will know what is needed, because a stupid servant never knows what he
has been sent for."
Here Jagienka began to look round, and Macko having noticed it, smiled
and asked:
"For whom are you looking?"
"I am looking for no one!"
"I will send Zbyszko to thank you and your father. Do you like Zbyszko?"
"I have not looked at him."
"Then look at him now, because he is just coming."
In fact Zbyszko was coming from the stable. He was dressed in a reindeer
jacket and round felt cap like those worn under the helmets; his hair was
without a net, cut evenly over his eyebrows and hung in golden curls on
his shoulders; he walked swiftly, having noticed the girl; he was tall
and graceful, looking like the shield-bearer of a rich nobleman.
Jagienka turned toward Macko as if to show that she came only to see him;
but Zbyszko welcomed her joyfully, and having taken hold of her hand,
raised it to his mouth, notwithstanding her resistance.
"Why do you kiss my hand?" asked she. "Am I a priest?"
"Such is the custom; you must not resist."
"Even if he had kissed both your hands," said Macko, "it would not be
enough for all that you have brought us."
"What have you brought?" asked Zbyszko, looking around the court-yard;
but he did not see anything except the black horse tied to the post.
"The wagons have not come yet; but they will soon be here," answered
Jagienka.
Macko began to enumerate what she had brought; but when he mentioned the
two beds, Zbyszko said:
"I am satisfied to sleep on the urus' skin; but I thank you because you
thought about me also."
"It was not I; it was _Tatulo_," answered the girl, blushing. "If you
prefer to sleep on the skin, you can do it."
"I prefer to sleep on what I can. Sometimes after a battle, I slept with
a dead Krzyzak instead of a pillow under my head."
"You do not mean to tell me that you have ever killed a Krzyzak? I am
sure you have not."
Zbyszko, instead of answering, began to laugh. But Macko exclaimed:
"For heaven's sake, girl, you do not know him yet! He has never done
anything else, but kill the Germans. He can fight with an axe, a spear or
with any weapon; and when he sees a German from afar, one must tie him
with a rope, or else he will rush against him. In Krakow he wanted to
kill the envoy, Lichtenstein, and for that he barely escaped execution.
Such a man! I will tell you also about the two Fryzes, from whom we took
their retinues and so much rich booty, that one could redeem Bogdaniec
with half of it."
Here Macko began to tell about his duel with the Fryzjans; also about
other adventures which had happened to them, and about the deeds they had
performed. How they had fought from behind the walls and in the open
fields, with the greatest knights living in foreign lands; how they had
fought Germans, Frenchmen, Englishmen and Burgundians. He also told her
what they had seen! They had seen German castles of red brick, Lithuanian
wooden _grodzce_[74] and churches, more beautiful than one could see
around Bogdaniec; also large cities and the dreadful wilderness in which
during the nights Lithuanian gods cried, and many different, marvelous
things; and everywhere, in any fight, Zbyszko was victorious, so that
even the greatest knights were astonished at him.
Jagienka, who was sitting on the log beside Macko, listened with open
mouth to that narrative, tossing her head and looking at the young knight
with increasing admiration and amazement. Finally when Macko was through,
she sighed and said:
"I am sorry I was not born a boy!"
But Zbyszko, who during the narration had been looking at her
attentively, evidently was thinking about something else, because he
suddenly said:
"What a beautiful girl you are now!"
Jagienka answered, half in displeasure and half in sadness:
"You have seen many more beautiful than I am."
But Zbyszko could truly answer her that he had not seen many as pretty as
she, because Jagienka was beaming with health, youth and strength. The
old abbot used to say that she looked like a pine tree. Everything was
beautiful in her; a slender figure, a broad bosom that looked as if it
were cut out of marble, a red mouth, and intelligent blue eyes. She was
also dressed with more care than when in the forest with the hunting
party. Around her neck she had a necklace of red beads; she wore a fur
jacket opened in front and covered with green cloth, a homespun skirt and
new boots. Even old Macko noticed this beautiful attire, and having
looked at her for a moment, asked:
"Why are you dressed as if you were going to church?"
But instead of answering, she exclaimed:
"The wagons are coming!"
In fact the wagons now appeared and she sprang toward them, followed by
Zbyszko. The unloading lasted quite a long time to the great satisfaction
of Macko who looked at everything, and praised Jagienka all the time. It
was dusk when the girl started home. While she was getting ready to mount
her horse, Zbyszko suddenly caught her, and before she was able to say a
word, lifted her into the saddle. Then she blushed like the dawn and
turning her head toward him, said with emotion in her voice:
"What a strong boy you are!"
But he, not having noticed her confusion nor her blushes because it was
dark, laughed and said:
"Are you not afraid of wild beasts? It is night!"
"There is a boar-spear in the wagon. Give it to me."
Zbyszko went to the wagon, took the boar-spear and handed it to Jagienka;
then he said:
"Be in good health!"
"Be in good health!" she answered.
"May God reward you! To-morrow, or the day after, I will be in Zgorzelice
to thank Zych and you for your kindness."
"Come! You will be welcome!"
Having touched her horse, she disappeared among the bushes growing on the
sides of the road.
Zbyszko returned to his uncle.
"You must go inside."
But Macko answered, without moving from the log:
"Hej! I what a girl! I She made the court-yard brighter!"
"That is true!"
There was a moment of silence. Macko seemed to be thinking about
something while looking at the stars; then he said, as if he were
speaking to himself:
"She is pretty and a good housekeeper, although she is not more than
fifteen years old."
"Yes!" answered Zbyszko. "Therefore old Zych loves her dearly."
"And he said that the estate of Moczydoly will be her dowry; and there on
the pastures is a herd of mares with many colts."
"Are there not a great many marshes in the Moczydlowski estate?"
"Yes; but in those marshes there are plenty of beavers."
There was silence again. Macko looked intently at Zbyszko for a while,
and finally he asked, "About what are you thinking?"
"Seeing Jagienka reminded me of Danusia, and something pricked me in the
heart."
"Let us go into the house," answered the old _wlodyka_. "It is getting
late."
Having risen with difficulty, he leaned on Zbyszko, who conducted him to
the alcove.
The next day Zbyszko went to Zgorzelice, because Macko urged him. He also
insisted that he take two servants with him for ostentation, and that he
dress in his best clothes, to show respect and gratitude to Zych. Zbyszko
did as he was asked and went attired as if for a wedding, in his _jaka_
made of white satin, bordered with gold fringe and embroidered with gold
griffins. Zych received him with open arms, with joy and with singing; as
for Jagienka, when she entered, she stopped as if she were rooted to the
ground and almost dropped the bucket of wine which she was carrying; she
thought that a son of some king had arrived. She became timid and sat
silently, rubbing her eyes from time to time as if she would like to
awaken from a dream. The inexperienced Zbyszko thought that, for some
reason unknown to him, she did not wish to talk to him; therefore he
conversed only with Zych, praising his munificence and admiring the house
at Zgorzelice, which in fact was quite different from that in Bogdaniec.
Everywhere comfort and wealth were evident. In the rooms there were
windows with panes made of horn, cut in thin slices and polished so that
it was as transparent as glass. Instead of fireplaces in the centre,
there were large chimneys in the corners. The floors were made of larch
tree planks, while on the walls were hung suits of armor and many
polished dishes, also silver spoons. Here and there were costly rugs
brought from the wars. Under the tables there were enormous urus' skins.
Zych showed his riches willingly, saying that it was Jagienka's
household. He conducted Zbyszko to the alcove, fragrant with rosin and
peppermint, in which were hanging from the ceiling, large bunches of wolf
skins, fox skins, beaver skins and marten skins. He showed to him the
provisions of cheese, honey, wax, barrels of flour, pails of dried bread,
hemp and dried mushrooms. Then he went with him to the granaries, barns,
stables, cow houses, and to the sheds filled with plenty of hunting
implements and nets. Zbyszko was so dazzled by all this wealth that
during supper, he could not refrain from admiration.
"What a pleasure to live in Zgorzelice!" exclaimed he.
"In Moczydoly, there is almost the same wealth," answered Zych. "Do you
remember Moczydoly? It is not far from Bogdaniec. Formerly our
forefathers quarreled about the boundaries and challenged each other; but
I shall not quarrel."
Here he filled Zbyszko's goblet with mead and said:
"Perhaps you would like to sing?"
"No," answered Zbyszko; "but I shall listen to you with pleasure."
"Zgorzelice will belong to the young bears."
"What do you mean by 'young bears?'"
"Why, Jagienka's brothers."
"Hej! they will not have to suck their paws during the winter."
"No; but Jagienka will also have plenty in Moczydoly."
"That is true!"
"Why don't you eat and drink? Jagienka, pour for him and for me."
"I am drinking and eating as much as I can."
"Ungird your belt; then you will be able to eat and drink more. What a
beautiful girdle you have! Yon must have taken rich booty in Lithuania!"
"We cannot complain," answered Zbyszko, gladly seizing the opportunity to
explain that the heirs of Bogdaniec were no longer _wlodykas_. "A part of
our booty, we sold in Krakow and received forty silver _grzywiens_ for
it."
"You don't say so! Why, one can buy an estate for that."