Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/143

Rh Danusia, who was sitting on the arm of the seat; then he turned to Yurand and asked,—

"Have you ever seen another like her?"

Yurand placed his terrible man-killing hands on his own head suddenly, and closing his eyes, said in a deep voice:

"I have, but the Germans killed her."

"Then listen," said Zbyshko, with enthusiasm; "one wrong has met both of us, and one vengeance belongs to us. They, the dog brothers, slew with crossbows a multitude of my relatives from Bogdanets when their horses sank in a quagmire. You will find no one better than me for your labor. It is nothing new to me! Ask uncle. The lance or the axe, the long or the short sword, are all one to me! My uncle has told you of those Frisians? I will slaughter Germans like sheep for you; and as to the maiden, I swear on my knees to fight for her, as God lives, with the very elder of hell; and I will not yield her either for land or for flocks, or for any gear; and though a castle with glass windows were offered me without her, I would reject the castle and wander off to the edge of the world for her."

Yurand sat some time with his head on his hands; but at last he recovered as if from sleep, and said with pity and sadness,—

"Thou hast pleased me, boy; but I will not give her to thee, for she is not fated to thee, poor fellow."

When he heard this, Zbyshko grew dumb and looked at Yurand with round eyes, unable to utter a word. But Danusia hastened to aid him. Zbyshko was very dear to her, and it was pleasant for her to pass, not for a "chit," but a "grown-up young lady." The betrothal pleased her, and the sweet things which the young knight brought in daily; so now, when she understood that they wished to take all this away from her, she dropped as quickly as possible from the arm of the seat, and hiding her face on her father's knee, began to repeat,—

"Tatulo, tatulo (papa dear), I will cry!"

Evidently he loved her above everything, for he placed his hand on her head mildly. His face expressed neither hatred nor anger, only sadness.

Meanwile [sic] Zbyshko recovered and asked: "How is that? Then you wish to oppose the will of God?"

"If it be the will of God, you will get her; but I cannot incline my own will. I would be glad to incline it, but that is not possible."