The Knights of the Cross, or, Krzyzacy: Historical Romance
"I saw the Mazovian Prince Henryk, when he fought in the lists," said
Zbyszko.
"We do not censure him, because he fought," answered the abbot, raising
his finger, "but because he married and married unhappily; _fornicarium_
and _bibulam_ had taken _mulierem_, whom _Bachum_ since she was young
_adorabat_, and besides that she was _adultera_, from whom no one could
expect any good." He stopped his horse and began to expound with still
greater gravity:
"Whoever wishes to marry, or to choose _uxorem_ must ascertain if she is
pious, moral, a good housekeeper and cleanly. This is recommended not
only by the fathers of the church, but also by a certain pagan sage,
called Seneca. And how can you know whether you have chosen well, if you
do not know the nest from which you take your life companion? Because
another sage has said: _Pomus nam cadit absque arbore._ As is the ox, so
is the skin; as is the mother, so is the girl. Prom which you, a sinner,
must draw this moral,--that you must look for your wife not far away, but
near; because if you get a bad one, you will cry as did the philosopher,
when his quarrelsome wife poured _aquam sordidam_ on his head."
"_In saecula saeculorum_, amen!" exclaimed in unison the wandering
seminarists, who when responding to the abbot, did not always answer
properly.
They were all listening very attentively to the abbot's words, admiring
his eloquence and his knowledge of the Scriptures; he apparently did not
speak directly to Zbyszko; but on the contrary, he turned more toward
Zych and Jagienka, as if he wished to edify them. But evidently Jagienka
understood what he was trying to do, because from beneath her long
eyelashes, she looked at Zbyszko, who frowned and dropped his head as if
he were seriously thinking about what the abbot had said.
After this the retinue moved on silently; but when they came near
Krzesnia, the abbot touched his girdle and then turned it so that he
could seize the hilt of his sword more easily, and said:
"I am sure that old Wilk of Brzozowa will come with a good retinue."
"Perhaps," replied Zych, "but I heard that he was not well."
"One of my seminarists heard that he intends to attack us in front of the
inn after the service is over."
"He will not do that without a challenge, and especially after holy
mass."
"May God, bring him to reason. I do not seek a quarrel with anybody and I
bear my wrongs patiently."
Here he looked at the _shpilmen_, and said:
"Do not draw your swords, and remember that you are spiritual servants;
but if they attack us first, then strike them!"
Zbyszko, while riding beside Jagienka, said to her:
"I am sure that in Krzesnia we will meet young Wilk and Cztan. Show me
them from afar, so that I may know them."
"Very well, Zbyszku," answered Jagienka.
"Do they not meet you before the service and after the service? What do
they do then?"
"They serve me."
"They will not serve you now, understand?" And she answered again, almost
with humility:
"Very well, Zbyszku."
Further conversation was interrupted by the sound of the wooden knockers,
there being no bells in Krzesnia. After a few moments they arrived at the
church. From the crowd in front, waiting for mass, young Wilk and Cztan
of Rogow came forward immediately; but Zbyszko jumped from his horse, and
before they could reach her, seized Jagienka and lifted her down from her
horse; then he took her by the hand, and looking at them threateningly,
conducted her to the church.
In the vestibule of the church, they were again disappointed. Both rushed
to the font of holy water, plunged their hands in, and then stretched
them toward the girl. But Zbyszko did the same, and she touched his
fingers; then having made the sign of the cross, she entered the church
with him. Then not only young Wilk, but Cztan of Rogow also,
notwithstanding his stupidity, understood that this had been done
purposely, and both were very angry. Wilk rushed out of the vestibule and
ran like a madman, not knowing where he was going. Cztan rushed after
him, although not knowing why.
They stopped at the corner of the inclosure where there were some large
stones ready for the foundation of the tower which was to be built in
Krzesnia. Then, Wilk wishing to assuage the wrath which raged in his
breast, seized one of these stones, and began to shake it; Cztan seeing
him do this, seized it also, and both began to roll it toward the church
gate.
The people looked at them with amazement, thinking that they had made
some vow, and that in this way they wished to contribute to the building
of the tower. This effort gave them relief and they came to their senses;
then they stood, pale from their exertion, puffing and looking at each
other.
Cztan of Rogow was the first to break the silence.
"What now?" asked he.
"What?" answered Wilk.
"Shall we attack him immediately?"
"How can we do that in the church?"
"Not in the church, but after mass."
"He is with Zych and the abbot. And have you forgotten that Zych said
that if there were a fight, he would refuse to let either of us visit at
Zgorzelice. But for that, I would have broken your ribs long ago."
"Or I, yours!" answered Cztan, clinching his powerful fists.
And their eyes began to sparkle threateningly; but soon they both
realized that now, more than ever, they needed to have a good
understanding. They often fought together; but after each fight, they
always became reconciled, because although they were divided by their
love for Jagienka, they could not live without each other. Now they had a
common foe and they understood that the enemy was a dangerous one.
After a while Cztan asked:
"What shall we do? Shall we send him a challenge?"
Wilk, although he was wiser, did not know what to do. Fortunately the
knockers resounded to notify the people that mass would begin. When he
heard them he said:
"What shall we do? Go to church now and after that, we will do whatever
pleases God."
Cztan of Rogow was pleased with this answer.
"Perhaps the Lord Jesus will send us an inspiration," said he.
"And will bless us," added Wilk.
"According to justice."
They went to church, and having listened devoutly to the mass, they grew
more hopeful. They did not lose their temper after mass, when Jagienka
again accepted holy water from Zbyszko. In the church-yard they bowed to
Zych, to Jagienka and even to the abbot, although he was an enemy of Wilk
of Brzozowa. They scowled at Zbyszko, but did not attempt to touch him,
although their hearts were throbbing with grief, anger and jealousy;
never before had Jagienka seemed to them to be as beautiful as she was
then. When the brilliant retinue moved on and when from afar they heard
the merry song of the ambulant seminarists, Cztan began to wipe the
perspiration from his hairy cheeks and to snort like a horse; as for
Wilk, he said, gnashing his teeth:
"To the inn! To the inn! Woe to me!" Afterward remembering what had
relieved them before, they again seized the stone and rolled it back to
its former place.
Zbyszko rode beside Jagienka, listening to the abbot's _shpilmen_ singing
merry songs; but when they had traveled five or six furlongs, he suddenly
reined in his horse, and said:
"Oh! I intended to pay for a mass to be said for uncle's health and I
forgot it; I must return."
"Do not go back!" exclaimed Jagienka; "we will send from Zgorzelice."
"No, I will return, and you must not wait for me. With God!"
"With God," said the abbot. "Go!" And his face brightened; when Zbyszko
disappeared, he touched Zych with his elbow and said:
"Do you understand?"
"What?"
"He will surely fight in Krzesnia with Wilk and Cztan; but I wished for
it and I am glad."
"They are dreadful boys! If they wound him, then what of it?"
"What of it? If he fight for Jagienka, then how can he afterward think
about that other girl, Jurandowna? From this time, Jagienka will be his
lady, not the other girl; and I wish it because he is my relative and I
like him."
"Bah! What about his vow?"
"I will give him absolution in the twinkling of an eye! Have you not
heard that I promised to absolve him?"
"Your head is wise about everything," answered Zych.
The abbot was pleased with this praise; then he approached nearer
Jagienka and asked:
"Why are you so sad?"
She leaned on the saddle, seized the abbot's hand and lifted it to her
mouth:
"Godfather, could you not send your _shpilmen_ to Krzesnia?"
"What for? They will get drunk in the inn--that's all."
"But they may prevent a quarrel."
The abbot looked into her eyes and then said sharply:
"Let them even kill him."
"Then they must kill me also!" exclaimed Jagienka.
The bitterness which had accumulated in her bosom since that conversation
about Danusia with Zbyszko, mingled with grief, now gushed forth in a
stream of tears. Seeing this, the abbot encircled her with his arm,
almost covering her with his enormous sleeve, and began to talk:
"Do not be afraid, my dear little girl. They may quarrel, but the other
boys are noblemen; they will attack him only in a chivalrous manner; they
will call him up on the field, and then he can manage for himself, even
if he be obliged to fight with both of them at once. As for Jurandowna,
about whom you have heard, I will tell you this: there is no wood growing
for a bed for the other girl."
"If he prefers the other girl, then I do not care about him," answered
Jagienka, through her tears.
"Then why do you, weep?"
"Because I am afraid for him."
"Woman's sense!" said the abbot, laughing.
Then having bent toward Jagienka's ear, he said:
"You must remember, dear girl, that even if he take you, he will be
obliged to fight just the same; a nobleman must be a knight." Here he
bent still closer and added:
"And he will take you, and before long, as God is in heaven!"
"I do not know about that!" answered Jagienka.
But she began to smile through her tears, and to look at the abbot as if
she wished to ask him how he knew it.
Meanwhile, Zbyszko having returned to Krzesnia, went directly to the
priest, because he really wished to have a mass read for Macko's health;
after having settled about that, he went to the inn, where he expected to
find young Wilk of Brzozowa, and Cztan of Rogow.
He found both of them there, and also many other people, noblemen,
farmers and a few "madcap fellows" showing different German tricks. At
first he could not recognize anybody, because the windows of the inn
being made of ox bladders, did not let in a good light; but when the
servant put some resinous wood on the fire, he noticed in the corner
behind the beer buckets, Cztan's hairy cheeks, and Wilk's furious face.
Then he walked slowly toward them, pushing aside the people; when he
reached them, he struck the table so heavily with his fist that the noise
resounded throughout the whole inn.
They arose immediately and began to turn their girdles; but before they
could grasp the hilts of their swords, Zbyszko threw down a glove, and
speaking through his nose, as the knights used to speak while
challenging, he said these words which were unexpected by everybody:
"If either of you, or any other knightly person here present, deny that
the most beautiful and most virtuous girl in the world is _Panna_ Danuta
Jurandowna of Spychow, that one I will challenge to combat, on horseback
or on foot, until the first kneeling, or until the last breath."
Wilk and Cztan were astonished as much as the abbot would have been, had
he heard Zbyszko's words; and for a while they could not say a word. Who
was this _panna_? They cared about Jagienka and not about her; and if
this youth did not care for Jagienka, then what did he wish? Why had he