Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/102

78 "But how could a Knight of the Cross be near Cracow unless as an envoy, or in the retinue of an envoy?"

To this Zbyshko made no answer, for he had nothing to say. It was too clear to all that, had it not been for the lord of Tachev, not the armor of the envoy would be before the court then, but the envoy himself with breast pierced, to the eternal shame of the Polish people; hence even those who from their whole souls were friendly to Zbyshko understood that the decision could not be favorable. In fact, after a time the castellan said,—

"In thy excitement thou didst not think whom thou wert striking, and didst act without malice. Our Saviour will reckon that in thy favor and forgive thee; but commend thyself, hapless man, to the Most Holy Virgin, for the law can not pardon thee."

Though he had expected such words, Zbyshko grew somewhat pale when he heard them, but soon he shook back his long hair, made the sign of the cross on himself, and said:

"The will of God! Still, it is difficult."

Then he turned to Matsko and indicated Lichtenstein with his eyes, as if leaving the German to his uncle's memory; and Matsko motioned with his head in sign that he understood and would remember. Lichtenstein too understood that look and that motion, and though there beat in his breast both a brave and stubborn heart, a quiver ran through him at that moment, so terrible and ill-omened was the face of the old warrior. The Knight of the Cross saw that between him and that knight there would be thenceforth a struggle for life and death; that even if he wanted to hide from him he could not, and when he ceased to be an envoy they must meet, even at Malborg.

The castellan withdrew to the adjoining chamber to dictate the sentence against Zbyshko to his secretary skilled in writing. This one and that of the knighthood approached the envoy during this interval, saying,—

"God grant thee to be judged with more mercy at the last judgment! Thou art glad of blood!"

But Lichtenstein valued only the opinion of Zavisha, for he, because of his deeds in battle, his knowledge of the rules of knighthood, and his uncommon strictness in observing them, was widely known throughout the world. In the most complicated questions in which the point was of knightly honor, men came to him frequently from a very great distance, and no one ever dared to oppose, not only because