CHAPTER LXXIII.
Zbyshko did not carry out his threat, it is true, and did not leave Bogdanets, but after the course of another week his health had returned to him completely and he could not remain longer in bed. Matsko declared that it was their duty to visit Zgorzelitse and thank Yagenka for the care bestowed on him. So on a certain day, after he had steamed himself well in the bath, Zbyshko resolved to go straightway. With this object he commanded to take from the chest his beautiful garments so as to use them instead of the every-day clothes he was wearing, and then he occupied himself with curling his hair; but that was no small, easy task, and the difficulty lay not alone in the wealth of that hair which dropped down behind like a mane below his shoulders. Knights in every-day life wore their hair in a net shaped like a mushroom, which in time of expeditions had this good side, that the helmet chafed them perhaps less, but on various ceremonial occasions, such as a wedding, or visits to houses in which there were young ladies, they arranged it in beautifully twisted rolls, which frequently were rubbed with the white of an egg to give them consistency and gloss. Precisely in this way did Zbyshko wish to dress his hair. But the two women summoned from the servants' house were unused to such work and were unable to do it. His hair, all dry, standing out after the bath, could not be made to lie down, and was like a badly thatched roof of straw on a cottage. The combs, cut out of buffalo horn artistically and won from the Frisians, did not help, nor did a curry-comb for which one of the women went to the stable. Zbyshko began at last to be impatient and angry—when Matsko walked into the room with Yagenka, who had come unexpectedly.
"Praised be Jesus Christ!" said she.
"For the ages of ages!" answered Zbyshko, with a radiant face. "Well, this is wonderful! We were just making ready to go to thy house, and thou art here!"
His eyes gleamed with delight, for it was thus with him always; whenever he saw her it was as bright in his soul as if he were looking at the sunrise.
