Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/146

122 "Well, thou wilt see."

"But how could I take her in spite of her father?"

To this the princess answered, as if to herself,—

"Mighty God! surely that will not be! Is God's will not stronger than the will of a father?" Then she said to Zbyshko: "And what did Yurand himself say? 'If it be the will of God, he will get her.'"

"He said that to me," replied Zbyshko. 'If it be the will of God,' said he, 'thou wilt get her.'"

"Well, seest thou?"

"Yes, in thy favor, gracious lady, is my only solace."

"Thou hast my favor, and Danusia will adhere to thee.

Only yesterday I said to her, 'Danusia, but wilt thou hold to Zbyshko?' and she answered: 'I shall be Zbyshko's, or no one's.' That is a green berry yet, but whatever she says she will hold to, for she is a noble's child, not some wanderer. And her mother was of the same kind."

"May God grant!" replied Zbyshko.

"But remember that thou hold to her; for more than one man is giddy; he promises to love faithfully, and directly he rushes to another, so that thou couldst not hold him on a rope! I tell the truth! And you meet a man sometimes who at every girl he sees neighs like a horse fat on oats."

"May the Lord Jesus punish me first!" cried Zbyshko with energy.

"Well, remember that. And when thou hast taken thy uncle home come to our court. Thou wilt have a chance there to win spurs, and by that time we shall see what God gives. Danusia will have ripened and will feel the will of God, for now she loves thee indeed greatly,—I cannot express it otherwise,—but not yet as mature maidens love. Perhaps too Yurand will incline to thee later, for, as I notice, he would be glad to incline. Thou wilt go to Spyhov too, and with Yurand against the Germans; it may happen that thou wilt serve him in some way and win him completely."

"Gracious lady, I intended to act in just that way, but with permission it will be easier."

This conversation added much courage to Zbyshko. Meanwhile at the first halt old Matsko grew so ill that there was need to stop and wait till he could regain even a little strength for the farther journey. The kind princess, Anna Danuta, left him medicines and remedies from all that she had brought, but she was forced herself to travel on, and the owners of Bogdanets had to part with the Mazovian court.