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CHAPTER XL. Yurand woke from his long sleep in presence of Father Kaleb, and having forgotten in his sleep what had happened to him, and not knowing where he was, he began to feel of the bed and the wall near which the bed stood. But Father Kaleb seized him in his arms, and weeping from tenderness said,— "It is I! Thou art in Spyhov! Brother Yurand! God has visited thee, but thou art among thy own. Pious people have brought thee home. Oh, brother Yurand! My brother!" And pressing him to his breast, he kissed his forehead, his empty eyes, and, pressing him to his breast, again he kissed him. Yurand at first was as if stunned, and seemed to understand nothing, but at last he passed his left hand over his forehead and head, as if wishing to push back and scatter the heavy clouds of sleep and stupor. "Dost thou hear and understand me?" asked Father Kaleb. Yurand gave a sign with his head that he heard, then he reached with his hand for the silver crucifix captured by him once from a rich German knight; this he took from the wall, pressed it to his lips, to his breast, and returned it to Father Kaleb. "I understand thee, brother. He remains to thee, and as He has brought thee out of the land of captivity, so He can return everything that was taken from thee." Yurand pointed upward in sign that everything of his would be turned thitherward, wherewith his eyepits were filled with tears, and immense pain was depicted on his suffering face. Father Kaleb, seeing this movement and pain, felt convinced that Danusia was no longer alive, so he knelt at the bedside, and said, "O Lord, give her endless rest, and may eternal light shine on her; may she be in endless peace. Amen." At this the blind man rose, and sitting on the bed, began to move his head and motion with his hand, as if to forbid Father Kaleb, and restrain him; but they were unable to understand each other, for at that moment old Tolima entered, and behind him the garrison of the castle, tried men, the foremost and oldest of the land tillers of Spyhov, foresters, and fishermen; they came because tidings of the return of the master of Spyhov had spread over all the place. They embraced his knees, they kissed his hand, and burst into plaintive weeping at sight of that maimed old man, who in nothing reminded them of the former terrible Yurand, the crusher of the Knights of the Order, the victor in every encounter. But some of them, namely, those who had followed him in expeditions, were swept away by a whirlwind of anger, hence their faces grew pale and became stubborn. After a while they collected in a group and whispered, pushing one another with their elbows, and shoving, until finally one of the garrison of the castle, who at the same time was the blacksmith of Spyhov, stood forth, a certain Suhar; he approached Yurand, seized his feet, and said,— "As soon as they brought you hither, lord, we wanted to move on Schytno, but that knight who brought you forbade us. Do you, lord, give permission, for we cannot remain as we are without vengeance. Let it be as it was aforetime. They have insulted us, but they will not go unpunished, they will not. We went against them at your command, we will go now under Tolima, or without him. We must capture Schytno and make dog blood flow out of it, so help us God!" "So help us God!" repeated other voices. "To Schytno!" "We must have blood!" And immediately a flame seized their passionate Mazovian hearts. Foreheads were frowning, eyes flashing, here and there was heard the gritting of teeth. But after a while voices and gritting of teeth ceased, and the eyes of all were intent on Yurand. His cheeks flushed at once, as if the former resolution had sprung up in him and the former ardor of battle. He rose and began to search along the wall with his hand. It seemed to the men that he was feeling for his sword, but this time his fingers met the cross which Father Kaleb had hung in its old place. He took it from the wall a second time, then his face became pallid, he turned to the men, raised his empty eyepits, and extended the crucifix in front of him. Silence followed. It was evening in the world outside. Through the windows came the twittering of birds, which were settling for rest at the gables of the castle and in the linden-trees growing in the courtyard. The last ruddy sunrays fell as they penetrated the chamber on the upraised cross and on the white hair of Yurand. Suhar, the blacksmith, looked at Yurand, he looked around at his comrades, he looked at Yurand a second time, then he made the sign of the cross and left the room on tiptoe. After him went the others in like silence, and only when they had stopped in the courtyard did they begin to whisper to one another. "Well, and what?" "Shall we not go, or how?" "He did not permit." "He leaves vengeance to God. It is clear that the soul has changed in him." And so it had in reality. Meanwhile in the chamber with Yurand remained only Father Kaleb, old Tolima, and with them Yagenka and Anulka, who, having seen a group of armed men passing through the court, came to see what was happening. Yageuka, bolder and more certain of herself than was Anulka, approached Yurand now. "God give you His aid, Knight Yurand," said she. "It is we who brought you hither from Prussia." His face brightened at the sound of that youthful voice. Evidently he recalled in more detail everything that had happened on the Schytno road, for he began to give thanks, nodding his head, and placing his hand on his heart repeatedly. She told him how they had met him, how Hlava had recognized him, Hlava, Zbyshko's attendant, and finally how they had brought him to Spyhov. She said also of herself that she with her comrade carried the sword, the helmet, and the shield for the knight Matsko of Bogdanets, the uncle of Zbyshko, who had set out from Bogdanets to seek his nephew and had gone to Schytno, but in three or four days would return again to Spyhov. At mention of Schytno Yurand did not fall, it is true, into such excitement as on the road the first time, but great alarm was expressed on his face. Yagenka assured him, however, that Matsko was as cunning as he was resolute, that be would let no man trick him; moreover he had letters from Lichtenstein; with these he could go everywhere safely. These words calmed Yurand notably. It was clear too that he wished to ask about many other things, and being unable to do so, he suffered in soul; seeing this the quick girl said,— "When we talk oftener we shall be able to say everything." At this he smiled, stretched his hand toward her, and placing it on her head by feeling, he held it there a long time, as if blessing her. He was very grateful to her indeed; but besides, her youth pleased his heart, and that short, quick talk of hers, which reminded him of the twittering of birds. From that time, whenever he was not praying,—and he prayed for whole days almost,—or when he was not sunk in slumber, he sought for her near by; and if she was not present he yearned for her voice, and in every way endeavored to let Father Kaleb and Tolima know that he would like to have that charming youth near him. And she came, for her honest heart took sincere compassion on him; and besides, the time passed more quickly in his company, while she was waiting for Matsko, whose stay in Schytno was prolonged in some way strangely. He was to return in three days; meanwhile the fourth and fifth day had passed. The sixth day, toward evening, the alarmed girl was just going to beg Tolima to send men out to inquire, when information was sent from the watch oak that horsemen were approaching Spyhov. After a while hoofs clattered on the drawbridge and Hlava rode into the courtyard with another attendant. Yagenka, who had already hurried down from the upper chamber, and was waiting, ran to him before he could spring from the saddle. "Where is Matsko?" asked she, with throbbing heart. "He has gone to Prince Vitold, and commands you to stay here," answered the attendant.
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