Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/155

Rh "Yes, but what are blessed souls doing in heaven?"

"Singing."

"Well, see then! And the damned weep. I would rather go to the singing than the weeping ones. Saint Peter will say too: 'We must admit him to paradise or the rascal will sing in hell, and that would not be proper.' See, it is dawning already."

And indeed day was coming. After a while they rode out onto a broad plain, where everything was visible. On a lake occupying the greater part of the plain some people were fishing, but at sight of armed men they threw their nets aside, rushed from the water, seized their spears and poles as quickly as might be, and stood in a threatening attitude, ready for battle.

"They have taken us for robbers," said Zbyshko, laughing. "Hei, fishermen! whose are ye?"

They stood some time in silence looking with distrust, but at last the oldest among them recognized the knights, and answered,—

"We belong to the reverend abbot of Tulcha."

"Our relative," said Matsko, "who holds Bogdanets in pledge. This must be his forest, though bought not long since."

"God help you, he buy! He fought for it with Vilk of Brozova, and evidently he won it. A year ago they were to meet on horseback with lances and long swords for all this side of the country here, but I know not how it ended, for I was gone at the time."

"Well, we are relatives, he will not fight with us; he may also remit some of the pledge money."

"He may. If only it accords with his will, he may add something of his own. He is a knightly abbot, for whom it is no novelty to cover his head with a helmet. And he is pious besides, and celebrates mass beautifully. But you must remember—when he thunders out during mass, the swallows under the roofs fly out of their nests. Well, and the glory of God increases."

"Why should I not remember? Why, with his breath he quenches a candle on the altar ten steps away. Has he looked in even once at Bogdanets?"

"Of course he has. He has settled five new men, with their wives, on cleared land. He has been with us too, for, as you know, he baptized for me Yagenka; he has always liked her very much, and he calls her his daughter."