Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/100

76 family for that. It is hard for a man to meet death, but, when we look at the matter more carefully, it is better that one man should die than that a family should be extinguished."

Thus speaking he embraced the feet of the king. Yagello blinked, which with him was a sign of emotion, and finally he said,—

"I shall never command to behead a belted knight!—never, never!"

"And there would be no justice in doing so," added the castellan. "Law punishes the guilty, but it is not a dragon which sees not whose blood it is gulping. Consider what disgrace would fall on your family ; for were your nephew to consent to what you propose all would hold him and his descendants disgraced."

"He would not consent. But if it were done without his knowledge he would avenge me afterward, as I should avenge him."

"Bring the German to abandon his complaint," said the castellan.

"I have been with him already."

"And what," inquired the king, stretching his neck, "what did he say?"

"He spoke thus: 'Ye should have prayed for pardon on the Tynets road; ye had no wish then, I have no wish now.'"

"And why did ye not wish?"

"For he commanded us to come down from our horses and beg him for pardon on foot."

The king put his hair behind his ears and wished to say something, when an attendant came in with the announcement that the knight of Lichtenstein begged for an audience.

Yagello looked at the castellan, then at Matsko, but commanded them to remain, perhaps in the hope that on this occasion he would soften the affair by his kingly office.

Meanwhile the Knight of the Cross entered, bowed to the king, and said,—

"Gracious lord, here is a written complaint touching the insult which met me in your kingdom."

"Complain to him," answered the king, pointing to the castellan.

"I know neither your laws nor your courts, but I know this: that the envoy of the Order can make complaint only to the king himself," said the knight, looking straight into Yagello's face.