The Knights of the Cross/Volume 1/Chapter 20
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CHAPTER XX. Meanwhile the Cheh flew with all speed straightway to the hunting-house, and finding the prince there, told him first of all what had happened. Fortunately there were courtiers who had seen that the Cheh had ridden out without weapons. One of them had even called on the road to him, half jestingly, to take some kind of iron, or the Germans would beat him. He, fearing lest the Germans might pass the boundary, had sprung to his horse in his jacket, and rushed after them. These testimonies scattered all doubts of the prince as to who could have murdered De Fourcy; but it filled him with alarm and such anger that in the first moment he wished to send pursuit after the Germans, so as to convey them in chains to the Grand Master for punishment. After a while, however, he saw himself that pursuit could not reach the knights before the boundary, and he said,— "Still, I will send a letter to the Master and inform him what they are doing here. Evil has begun in the Order; formerly obedience was absolute, now any comtur does what he pleases. God grant that after offence will come punishment." He thought a while and then said to the courtiers,— "I cannot understand why they killed a guest, and were it not that the young man went without weapons, I should suspect him." "You might," said the priest; "but what wish could he have to kill a man whom he had never seen before, and then, if he had weapons, how was he, one man, to attack five, and their armed escort in addition?" "You speak truth," said the prince. "It must be that that guest opposed them in something, or that he would not lie as they wished; even here I noticed that they winked at him to say that Yurand was the first to begin." "The Cheh is a gallant fellow," said Mrokota, "if he has crushed the paw of that dog of a Danveld." "He says that he heard the bones break in the German," answered the prince; "and noticing how he fought in the forest that may well be. It is clear that both servant and master are doughty fellows. Had it not been for Zbyshko the wild bull would have hurled himself at the princess' horse. Both he and the Knight of Lorraine did much to save her." "Indeed he is a resolute man," said Father Vyshonek; "even now when barely breathing he takes Yurand's part and has challenged those Germans. The master of Spyhov needs just such a son-in-law." "Yurand talked rather differently in Cracow?—but he will not object now, I think," said Prince Yanush. "The Lord Jesus will bring it about," said the princess, who entering that moment heard the last words of the conversation. "Yurand cannot refuse now, if God return health to Zbyshko. But there must be a reward from us also." "The best reward for him is Danusia, and I think that he will get her, for this reason, that when women undertake something even a Yurand is helpless." "But have I not undertaken a good work?" inquired the princess. "That Zbyshko is impulsive I will not deny; but there is not a truer man on earth than he. And the girl is as true as he is. She does not go one step from him, she thinks of him only, and he smiles at her in his pain so that tears fall from my eyes at moments. I tell thee the truth. Love like that is worth helping, for God's own mother delights in seeing human happiness." "If only the will of God be there," said the prince, "happiness will come. But to tell the truth, they came near cutting his head off because of that maiden, and now the wild bull has crushed him." "Do not say because of her!" exclaimed the princess; "no other but Danusia saved him in Cracow." "That is true; but had it not been for her he would never have struck against Lichtenstein to wrest the plume from his helmet, and he would not have exposed himself for the man of Lorraine with such readiness. As to the reward, I have said that that belongs to both, and in Tsehanov I will provide it." "Nothing would Zbyshko like to see so well as the belt of a knight and golden spurs." The prince smiled good-naturedly, and added,— "Let the girl take them to him, and when his wound is healed we shall see that all is finished in proper fashion. And let her take them quickly, for sudden pleasure is best." The princess, hearing this, embraced her husband in presence of the courtiers; then she kissed his hands repeatedly. He smiled meanwhile, and said,— "Well, you see, a good affair is settled! The Holy Ghost has not withheld wit even from women! Call the girl in." "Danusia! Danusia!" cried the princess. After a while, in the doorway of the side chamber appeared Danusia, her eyes red from watching, in her hands a two-handled basin, full of steaming kasha with which Father Vyshonek was to poultice Zbyshko's bruised bones, and which an old court lady had just given her. "Come, little orphan," said the prince. "Put down the vessel and come hither." She approached him somewhat timidly, for the "Pan" roused a certain dread in her; he drew her toward him kindly, and stroked her face, saying,— "Well, child, grief has come to thee, has it not?" "It has indeed!" replied Danusia. And having sorrow in her heart, and tears ready, she burst into weeping at once, but quietly, so as not to offend Prince Yanush. "Why art thou crying? " inquired he. "Because Zbyshko is sick," replied she, putting her fists in her eyes. "Have no fear; nothing will harm him. Is not that true, Father Vyshonek?" "By God's will he is nearer marriage than death," said the kind priest. "Wait," said the prince; "I will give a medicine that will help, or cure him altogether." "The balsam which the Knights of the Cross sent?" cried Danusia, vivaciously, taking her hands from her eyes. "Better rub a dog with what the Knights of the Cross sent than thy dear young knight whom thou lovest. I will give thee something else." Then he turned to the courtiers and called: "Will some one go to the store chamber for spurs and a belt?" When they were brought, he said to Danusia: "Take these to Zbyshko, and say that henceforth he is belted. If he dies he will stand before God a belted warrior; if he lives I will finish the rest in Tsehanov or Warsaw." When Danusia heard this she embraced the prince's feet; then she grasped with one hand the insignia of knighthood, with the other the basin, and sprang to the room in which Zbyshko was lying. The princess followed, not wishing to lose sight of their pleasure. Zbyshko was very sick, but seeing Danusia, he turned to her with face pale from pain, and asked,— "But the Cheh, my berry, has he returned?" "What matter about him? I bring better news. Our lord has belted thee as a knight, and here are the things which he has sent by me," said she, placing the belt and golden spurs at his side. Zbyshko's pale cheeks flushed with delight and astonishment; he looked at Danusia, next at the insignia; then he closed his eyes, and asked,— "How could he belt me as a knight?" But when at that moment the princess came in, he raised himself on his arms somewhat and thanked her, asking pardon of the gracious lady because he could not fall at her feet, for he divined at once that through her intercession it was that such fortune had befallen him. She commanded quiet, however, and with her own hands helped Danusia to lower his head to the pillow. Meanwhile the prince entered, and with him Father Vyshonek, Mrokota, and a number of others. From a distance Prince Yanush gave a sign with his hand that Zbyshko was not to move, and then, sitting down by the bedside, spoke as follows:— "It is no wonder to people, as you know, that there is reward for noble and valiant deeds; were there not, honor would go unconsidered, and injustice would move through the world without punishment. Since thou hast not spared thy life, and with loss of health hast defended us from terrible sorrow, we permit thee to gird thyself with the belt of a knight, and to be henceforth in renown and in honor." "Gracious lord," answered Zbyshko, "I should not grieve for ten lives—" He was unable to continue, both from emotion and because the princess placed her hand on his lips, when Father Vyshonek forbade him to speak. But the prince continued,— "I think that thou knowest the duties of a knight, and wilt wear these ornaments worthily. Thou art to serve our Redeemer, as is befitting, and war against the elder of Hell. Thou art to be loyal to the Lord's anointed on earth, avoid unjust wars, defend oppressed innocence, in which may God and His Holy Passion assist thee!" "Amen!" responded the priest. Then the prince rose, took farewell of Zbyshko, and in going away, added,— "When thou art well, come directly to Tsehanov; whither I will bring Yurand also!"
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