Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/225

Rh at his shoulder and an axe in his hand, dragged on behind, taking shelter in the shaggy skin of a bison; for a sharp wind began to blow, bringing snow-flakes.

The storm increased with every moment. The Turks, though in skin coats, were stiff from cold. Zbyshko's attendants began to swing their arms, to beat themselves with their hands, and he also, not clothed sufficiently, cast his eyes once and a second time on the wolf-skin mantle brought by Hlava, and after a while told one of the Turks to bring it to him.

Wrapping himself closely in the mantle he soon felt warmth passing over his whole body; especially convenient was the hood, which sheltered his eyes and a considerable part of his face, so that the storm almost ceased to annoy him. Then he thought, in spite of himself, that Yagenka was an honest maiden to the bones, and he reined in his horse somewhat, for the desire seized him to ask Hlava about her, and everything that had happened at Zyh's house. So beckoning to the man he asked,—

"Does old Zyh know that Panna Yagenka sent thee to me?"

'He knows."

"And he did not oppose?"

"He opposed."

"Tell how it was."

"Pan Zyh was walking through the room, and Panna Yagenka after him. He screamed, but she not a word; when he turned toward her she dropped to her knees. And not a word. Pan Zyh said at last: 'Art thou deaf, that thou sayst nothing in answer to me? Speak, for at last I shall permit, and when I permit the abbot will take off my head.' Then the young lady saw that she would get what she wanted, and began to thank him with tears. The old man reproached her for tormenting him, and complained that everything had to be as she wished, but at last he said: 'Promise me that thou wilt not run out in secret to take farewell of him; if thou promise I will permit, otherwise I will not.' Panna Yagenka was vexed, but she promised; and he was glad, for he and the abbot were terribly afraid that the wish might come to her to see your grace. But that was not the end, for later the lady wished that there should be two horses, and he refused; she wanted a wolf-skin and a purse; he refused. But what value in those refusals? If she had thought to burn down the house