The Knights of the Cross, or, Krzyzacy: Historical Romance
surely none would dare to oppose her. Therefore I will do as you say."
This advice pleased Jagienka, who admired Zbyszko's common sense very
much. That same evening, Macko made a vow and drank with still greater
hope, the bear's grease. But after a week, he began to lose hope. He said
that the grease was fermenting in his stomach, and that a lump was
growing on his side near the last rib. At the end of ten days Macko was
worse, and the lump grew larger and became inflamed. The sick man again
had fever and began to make preparations for death.
But one night he awakened Zbyszko, and said:
"Light a piece of resinous wood; there is something the matter with me,
but I do not know what."
Zbyszko jumped up and lighted a piece of pine wood.
"What is it?"
"What is it! Something has pierced the lump on my side. It must be the
head of the spear! I had hold of it, but I cannot pull it out."
"It must be the spearhead! Nothing else. Grasp it well and pull."
Macko began to turn and to twist with pain; but he pushed his fingers
deeper and deeper, until he seized a hard substance which finally he
pulled out.
"O, Jesus!"
"Have you pulled it out?" asked Zbyszko.
"Yes. I am in a cold perspiration all over; but I have it; look!"
Having said this, he showed to Zbyszko a long splinter, which had
separated from the spear and remained in his body for several months.
"Glory be to God and to Queen Jadwiga! Now you will get well."
"Perhaps; I am better, but it pains me greatly," said Macko, pressing the
wound from which blood and pus began to flow. "Jagienka said that now I
ought to dress the wound with the grease of a beaver."
"We will go to-morrow and get a beaver."
Macko felt considerably better the next day. He slept till morning, and
when he awoke, immediately asked for something to eat. He would not even
look at the bear's grease; but they cooked twenty eggs for him. He ate
them voraciously, also a big loaf of bread, and drank about four quarts
of beer; then he demanded that they call Zych, because he felt jovial.
Zbyszko sent one of the Turks, given to him by Zawisza, after Zych who
mounted a horse and came in the afternoon when the young people were
ready to go to the Odstajny lake to catch a beaver. At first there was
plenty of laughter and singing, while they drank mead; but afterward the
old _wlodykas_ began to talk about the children, each praising his own.
"What a man Zbyszko is!" said Macko; "there is no other like him in the
world. He is brave and as agile as a wild-cat. Do you know that when they
conducted him to the scaffold in Krakow, all the girls standing at the
windows were crying, and such girls;--daughters of knights and of
castellans, and also the beautiful townswomen."
"They may be beautiful and the daughters of castellans, but they are not
better than my Jagienka!" answered Zych of Zgorzelice.
"Did I say they were better? It will be difficult to find a better girl
than Jagienka."
"I do not say anything against Zbyszko either; he can stretch a crossbow
without a crank."
"He can underprop a bear also. Did you see how he cut the bear? He cut
the head and one paw off."
"He cut the head off, but he did not underprop it alone. Jagienka helped
him."
"Did she? He did not tell me about that."
"Because he promised her not to tell anyone. The girl was ashamed because
she went into the forest alone at night. She told me all about it; she
never hides the truth. Frankly speaking, I was not pleased because who
knows what might have happened. I wanted to scold her, but she said, 'If
I be not able to preserve my wreath myself, how can you preserve it, you
_tatulu_; but do not fear, Zbyszko knows what knightly honor is.'"
"That is true. They have gone alone to-day also."
"They will be back in the evening. But during the night, the devil is
worse and the girl does not feel ashamed because of the darkness."
Macko thought for a while; then he said as if to himself:
"But they are fond of each other."
"Bah! it is a pity he made a vow to another!"
"That is, as you know, a knightly custom. They consider the one who has
no lady, a churl. He also made a vow to capture some peacocks' tufts, and
those he must get because he swore by his knightly honor; he must also
challenge Lichtenstein; but from the other vows, the abbot can release
him."
"The abbot is coming soon."
"Do you expect him?" asked Macko; then he said again: "And what does such
a vow amount to; Jurand told him positively that he could not give the
girl to him! I do not know whether he had promised her to some one else,
or whether he had destined her for God."
"Have I told you that the abbot loves Jagienka as much as if she were his
own? The last time I saw him he said: 'I have no relations except those
from my mother's side; and they will receive nothing from me.'"
Here Macko looked at Zych suspiciously and after awhile he answered:
"Would you wrong us?"
"Jagienka will get Moczydoly," said Zych evasively.
"Immediately?"
"Immediately. I would not give it to another; but I will do it for her."
"Half of Bogdaniec belongs to Zbyszko, and if God restore my health, I
will improve the estate. Do you love Zbyszko?"
Zych began to wink and said:
"When anybody mentions Zbyszko's name in the presence of Jagienka, she
immediately turns away."
"And when you mention another?"
"When I mention another, she only laughs and says: 'What then?'"
"Well, do you not see. God will help us and Zbyszko will forget about the
other girl. I am old and I will forget also. Will you have some more
mead?"
"Yes, I will."
"Well, the abbot is a wise man! You know that some of the abbots are
laymen; but this abbot, although he does not sit among the friars, is a
priest just the same; and a priest can always give better advice than an
ordinary man, because he knows how to read, and he communes with the Holy
Ghost. I am glad that Jagienka is going to have the estate of Moczydoly.
As for me, as soon as the Lord Jesus restores my health, I will try to
induce some of the peasants living on the estate of Wilk of Brzozowa, to
settle on my land. I will offer them more land, I have plenty of it in
Bogdaniec. They can come if they wish to, for they are free. In time, I
will build a _grodek_ in Bogdaniec, a worthy castle of oaks with a ditch
around it. Let Zbyszko and Jagienka hunt together. I think we shall soon
have snow. They will become accustomed to each other, and the boy will
forget that other girl. Let them be together. Speak frankly; would you
give Jagienka to him or not?"
"I would. Did we not decide a long time ago that they should marry, and
that Moczydoly and Bogdaniec would be our grandchildren's?"
"_Grady!_" exclaimed Macko, joyfully. "God will bless us and their
children will be as numerous as hail. The abbot shall baptize them."
"If he will only be quick enough!" exclaimed Zych. "I have not seen you
so jolly as you are to-day for a long time."
"Because I am glad in my heart. Do not fear about Zbyszko. Yesterday when
Jagienka mounted her horse, the wind blew. I asked Zbyszko then: 'Did you
see?' and his eyes shone. I have also noticed that although at first they
did not speak much to each other, now when they go together, they are
continually turning their heads toward each other, and they talk--talk!
Have some more mead?"
"Yes, I will."
"To Zbyszko and Jagienka's health!"
CHAPTER VII.
The old _wlodyka_ was not mistaken when he said that Zbyszko and Jagienka
were fond of each other, and even that they longed for each other.
Jagienka pretending that she wanted to visit the sick Macko, went very
often to Bogdaniec, either alone or with her father. Zbyszko also went
often to Zgorzelice. In that way, after a few days a familiarity and
friendship originated between them. They grew fond of each other and
talked about everything that interested them. There was much mutual
admiration in that friendship also. The young and handsome Zbyszko, who
had already distinguished himself in the war, had participated in
tournaments and had been in the presence of kings, was considered by the
girl, when she compared him with Cztan of Rogow or Wilk of Brzozowa, a
true courtly knight and almost a prince; as for him, he was astonished at
the great beauty of the girl. He was loyal to Danusia; but very often
when he looked suddenly at Jagienka, either in the forest or at home, he
said involuntarily to himself: "Hej! what a girl!" When, helping her to
mount her horse, he felt her elastic flesh under his hands, disquietude
filled him and he shivered, and a torpor began to steal over him.
Jagienka, although naturally proud, inclined to raillery, and even
aggressive, grew more and more gentle with him, often looking in his eyes
to discover how she could please him; he understood her affection; he was
grateful for it and he liked to be with her more and more. Finally,
especially after Macko began to drink the bear's grease, they saw each
other almost every day; when the splinter came out of the wound, they
went together to get some fresh beaver's grease, necessary for the
healing of the wound.
They took their crossbows, mounted their horses and went first to
Moczydoly, destined for Jagienka's dowry, then to the edge of the forest,
where they entrusted the horses to a servant and went on foot, because it
was impossible to pass through the thicket on horseback. While walking,
Jagienka pointed to the large meadow covered with reeds and to the blue
ribbon of forest and said:
"Those woods belong to Cztan of Rogow."
"The same man who would like to take you?"
She began to laugh:
"He would if he could!"
"You can defend yourself very easily, having for your defence the
Wilk[82] who, as I understand, gnashes his teeth at Cztan. I wonder that
they have not challenged each other to fight until death."
"They have not because _tatulo_ before he went to the war said to them:
'If you fight about Jagienka I do not want to see you any more.' How
could they fight then? When they are in Zgorzelice they scowl at each
other; but afterward they drink together in an inn in Krzesnia until they
are drunk."
"Stupid boys!"
"Why?"
"Because while Zych was away one of them should have taken you by force.
What could Zych do, if when he returned he had found you with a baby on
your lap?"
At this Jagienka's blue eyes flashed immediately.
"Do you think I would let them take me? Have we not people in Zgorzelice,
and do I not know how to manage a crossbow or a boar-spear? Let them try!
I would chase them back home and even attack them in Rogow or Brzozowa.
Father knew very well that he could go to the war and leave me home
alone."
Speaking thus, she frowned, and shook the crossbow threateningly, so that
Zbyszko began to laugh, and said:
"You ought to have been a knight and not a girl."
She becoming calmer, answered:
"Cztan guarded me from Wilk and Wilk from Cztan. Then I was also under
the abbot's tutelage, and it is well for everyone to let the abbot
alone."
"Owa!" answered Zbyszko. "They are all afraid of the abbot! But I, may
Saint George help me to speak the truth to you, I would neither be afraid
of the abbot, nor of your peasants, nor of yourself; I would take you!"
At this Jagienka stopped on the spot, and fixing her eyes on Zbyszko,
asked in a strange, soft, low voice:
"You would take me?"
Then her lips parted and blushing like the dawn, she waited for his
answer.
But he evidently was only thinking what he would do, were he in Cztan or
Wilk's position; because after a while, he shook his golden hair and said
further:
"A girl must marry and not fight with the boys. Unless you have a third
one, you must choose one of these two."