The Knights of the Cross, or, Krzyzacy: Historical Romance
"If I wanted a war, I would not wait for you to come to Mazowsze, but
would go toward you; you need not threaten me, because I am not afraid of
you."
"What shall I say to the grand master?"
"He has not asked you anything. Tell him what you please."
"Then we will avenge ourselves."
Thereupon the prince stretched forth his arm and began to shake his
finger close to the Krzyzak's face.
"Keep quiet!" said he, angrily; "keep quiet! I gave you permission to
challenge Jurand; but if you dare to invade this country with the army of
the Order, then I will attack you, and you will stay here not as a guest
but as a prisoner."
Evidently his patience was entirely exhausted, because he threw a cap
violently on the table and left the room, slamming the door. The Knights
of the Cross became pale and Sir de Fourcy looked at them askance.
"What will happen now?" asked Brother Rotgier, who was the first to break
the silence.
Hugo von Danveld turned to Sir de Fourcy and menacing him with his fists,
said:
"Why did you tell him that you attacked Jurand?"
"Because it is true!"
"You should have lied."
"I came here to fight and not to lie."
"Well, you fought well, indeed!"
"And you! did you not run away from Jurand of Spychow?"
"_Pax!_" said von Löve. "This knight is a guest of the Order."
"It is immaterial what he said," added Brother Godfried. "They would not
punish Jurand without a trial, and in the court, the truth would come
out."
"What will be done now?" repeated Brother Rotgier.
There was a moment of silence; then the sturdy and virulent Zygfried von
Löve spoke:
"We must finish once for all with that bloody dog!" said he. "Herr von
Bergow must be released from his fetters. We will gather the garrisons
from Szczytno, Insburk and Lubowa; we will summon the Chelminsk nobility
and attack Jurand. It is time to settle with him!"
"We cannot do it without permission from the grand master."
"If we succeed, the grand master will be pleased!" said Brother Godfried.
"But if we do not succeed? If the prince go against us?"
"He will not do that if there is peace between him and the Order."
"There is peace, but we are going to violate it. Our garrisons will not
be sufficient to fight against the Mazurs."
"Then the grand master will help us and there will be a war."
Danveld frowned again and became thoughtful.
"No! no!" said he after a while. "If we be successful, the grand master
will be pleased. Envoys will be sent to the prince, there will be
negotiations and we will go scot-free. But in case of defeat, the Order
will not intercede for us and will not declare war. Another grand master
is necessary for that. The Polski king is behind the prince, and the
grand master will not quarrel with him."
"But we have taken the Dobrzynska province; it is evident that we are not
afraid of Krakow."
"There was some pretext--Opolczyk. We took it apparently in pledge, and
then----" Here he looked around and said quietly:
"I heard in Marienburg, that if they threaten us with war, we will return
the province."
"Ah!" said Brother Rotgier, "if we had Markward Salzbach with us, or
Shomberg who killed Witold's whelps, he would find some remedy against
Jurand. Witold was the king's viceroy and a grand duke! Notwithstanding
that, Shomberg was not punished. He killed Witold's children, and went
scot-free! Verily, there is great lack among us of people who can find a
remedy for everything."
Having heard this, Hugo von Danveld put his elbows on the table, leaned
his head on his hands and plunged into deep thought. Then his eyes became
bright, he wiped, according to his custom, his moist, thick lips with the
upper part of his hand and said:
"May the moment in which you mentioned, pious brother, the name of the
valiant Shomberg be blessed."
"Why? Have you found a remedy?" asked Zygfried von Löve.
"Speak quickly!" exclaimed Brother Godfried.
"Listen," said Hugo. "Jurand has a daughter here, his only child, whom he
loves dearly."
"Yes, so he has. We know her. The princess Anna Danuta loves her also."
"Yes. Listen then: if you capture this girl, Jurand will give as a ransom
for her, not only, Bergow, but all his prisoners, himself and Spychow!"
"By Saint Bonifacius' blood shed in Duchum!" exclaimed Brother Godfried;
"it would be as you say!"
Then they were silent, as if frightened by the boldness and the
difficulties of the enterprise. But after a while Brother Rotgier turned
toward Zygfried von Löve, and said:
"Your judgment and experience are equal to your bravery: what do you
think about this plan?"
"I think that the matter is worthy of consideration."
"Because," said Rotgier further, "the girl is a lady-in-waiting with the
princess--the princess loves her as if she were her own daughter. Think,
pious brother, what an uproar will arise."
But Hugo von Danveld began to laugh:
"You said yourself, that Shomberg poisoned or strangled Witold's whelps,
and what happened to him? They will raise an uproar about anything we do;
but if we sent Jurand in chains to the grand master, then it is certain
that we could expect reward rather than punishment."
"Yes," said von Löve, "there is a good opportunity for an attack. The
prince is going away and Anna Danuta will remain here alone with her
court. However it is a serious matter to invade the prince's house during
the time of peace. The prince's house is not Spychow. It will be the same
thing that happened in Zlotorja! Again complaints against the Order will
go to all kings and to the pope; again that cursed Jagiello will threaten
us, and the grand master; you know him: he is glad to take hold of
anything he can, but he does not wish for war with Jagiello. Yes! there
will be a great uproar in all the provinces of Mazowsze and of Polska."
"In the meanwhile Jurand's bones will whiten on a hook," answered Brother
Hugo. "Then we do not need to take his daughter from the prince's
mansion."
"But we cannot do it from Ciechanow either, because there, besides the
noblemen, there are three hundred archers."
"No. But Jurand can become ill and send for his daughter. Then the
princess would not prevent her going, and if the girl be lost on the
road, who will accuse you or me and say to us: 'You captured her!'"
"Bah!" answered von Löve, impatiently. "You must first make Jurand sick
and then make him summon the girl."
At this Hugo smiled triumphantly and answered:
"I have a goldsmith, who having been driven from Marienburg for theft,
settled in Szczytno and who is able to make a seal; I also have people,
who although our bondmen, came from the Mazurski country. Do you
understand me yet?"
"I understand," shouted Brother Godfried.
And Rotgier raised his hands and said:
"May God bless you, pious brother, because neither Markward Salzbach, nor
Shomberg could find better means."
Then he half closed his eyes, as if he saw something afar.
"I see Jurand," said he, "with a rope around his neck, standing at the
Gdansk gate in Marienburg and our _knechts_ are kicking him."
"And the girl will become a servant of the Order," said Hugo.
Having heard this, von Löve turned his severe eyes on Danveld; but the
latter again rubbed his lips with the upper part of his hand and said:
"And now to Szczytno as soon as we can!"
Before starting on the journey to Szczytno, the four brothers of the
Order and de Fourcy went to bid the prince and the princess adieu. It was
not a very friendly farewell; but the prince, not wishing to act contrary
to the old Polish custom which did not permit the guests to depart with
empty hands, made each brother a present of some beautiful marten-fur and
of one _grzywna_ of silver; they received the presents with great
pleasure, assuring the prince that being brothers of an order, and having
made a solemn promise to live in poverty, they would not retain the money
for themselves, but would distribute it among the poor, whom they would
recommend to pray for the prince's health, fame and future salvation.
The Mazurs laughed in their sleeves at such an assurance, because they
knew very well how rapacious the Order was, and still better what liars
the Knights of the Cross were.
It was a popular saying in Mazowsze: "As the skunk smells, so the Krzyzak
lies." The prince waved his hand to such thanks, and after they went out
he said that by the intervention of the Knights of the Cross, one would
go to heaven as swiftly as the craw-fish walks.
But before that, while taking leave of the princess, at the moment that
Zygfried von Löve kissed her hand, Hugo von Danveld approached Danusia,
put his hand on her head and caressing her, said:
"Our commandment is to return good for evil, and even to love our enemy;
therefore I will send a sister of the Order here, and she will bring you
the healing balm."
"How can I thank you for it?" answered Danusia.
"Be a friend of the Order and of the monks."
De Fourcy noticed this conversation, and in the meantime he was struck by
the beauty of the young girl; therefore as they traveled toward Szczytno,
he asked:
"Who is that beautiful lady of the court with whom you were talking while
taking leave of the princess?"
"Jurand's daughter!" answered the Krzyzak.
Sir de Fourcy was surprised.
"The same whom you propose to capture?"
"Yes. And when we capture her, Jurand is ours."
"Evidently everything is not bad that comes from Jurand. It will be worth
while to guard such a prisoner."
"Do you think it will be easier to fight with her than with Jurand?"
"I mean that I think the same as you do. The father is a foe of the
Order; but you spoke words as sweet as honey to the daughter, and besides
you promised to send her the balm."
Evidently Hugo von Danveld felt the need of justification before Zygfried
von Löve who, although not better than the others, observed the austere
laws of the Order, and very often scolded the other brothers.
"I promised her the balm," said Hugo, "for that young knight, who was
injured by the bison and to whom she is betrothed. If they make an outcry
when the girl is captured, then we will tell them that we did not wish to
harm her any, and the best proof of it will be that on account of
Christian mercy we sent her some medicine."
"Very well," said von Löve. "Only we must send somebody whom we can
trust."
"I will send a pious woman, entirely faithful to the Order. I will
command her to look and to listen. When our people, apparently sent by
Jurand, arrive, they will find the road already prepared."
"It will be difficult to get such people."
"No! In our province the people speak the same language. There are in our
city, bah! even among the _knechts_ of the garrison, some men who left
Mazowsze because they were pursued by the law; it is true they are
thieves and robbers; but they do not fear anybody and they are ready to
do anything. To those men, I will promise, in case they succeed, a large
reward; if they fail, a rope."
"Bah! Suppose they betray us?"
"They will not betray us, because in Mazowsze every one of them deserves
to be hanged. Only we must give them decent clothes so that they will be
taken for Jurand's servants; and we must get the principal thing: a
letter with Jurand's seal."
"We must foresee everything," said Brother Rotgier. "It is probable that
Jurand will go to see the prince, and justify himself on account of the
last war. If he is in Ciechanow, he will go to see his daughter. It may
happen that our men when they go to capture Jurandowna, will come in
contact with Jurand himself."
"The men whom I am going to choose are sharp. They will know that they
will be hanged if they come in contact with Jurand. It will be to their
own interest not to meet him."
"But they may be captured."