Page:Henryk Sienkiewicz - Potop - The Deluge (1898 translation by Jeremiah Curtin) - Vol 1.djvu/516

486 and are ready to betray any one, as in this case Kmita Radzivill."

"But among us there are no traitors, and we are ready to stand up with the serene great mighty voevoda to the death!" said Jyromski.

"I believe that here are most honorable soldiers," answered Sapyeha, "and I had no expectation of finding such order and abundance, for which I must give thanks to his grace Pan Zagloba."

Zagloba blushed with pleasure, for somehow it had seemed to him hitherto that though the voevoda of Vityebsk had treated him graciously, still he had not given him the recognition and respect which he, the ex-commander, desired. He began therefore to relate how he had made regulations, what he had done, what supplies he had collected, how he had brought cannon, and formed infantry, finally what an extensive correspondence he had carried on; and not without boasting did he make mention of the letters sent to the banished king, to Hovanski, and to the elector.

"After my letter, his grace the elector must declare for us openly or against us," said he, with pride.

The voevoda of Vityebsk was a humorous man, and perhaps also he was a little joyous from drink; therefore he smoothed his mustache, laughed maliciously, and said, —

"Lord brother, but have you not written to the Emperor of Germany?"

"No!" answered Zagloba, astonished.

"That is a pity," said the voevoda; "for there an equal would have talked with an equal."

The colonels burst into a thundering laugh; but Zagloba showed at once that if the voevoda wished to be a scythe, he had struck a stone.

"Serene great mighty lord," said he, "I can write to the elector, for as a noble I am an elector myself, and I exercised my rights not so long ago when I gave my voice for Yan Kazimir."

"You have brought that out well," answered Sapyeha.

"But with such a potentate as the Emperor I do not correspond," continued Zagloba, "lest he might apply to me a certain proverb which I heard in Lithuania."

"What was the proverb?"

"Such a fool's head as that must have come out of Vityebsk!" answered Zagloba, without confusion.