Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/226

202 her father would have consented. For this reason you have the second horse, the wolf-skin, and the purse."

"An honest girl!" thought Zbyshko in his soul. After a time he asked,—

"But was there no trouble with the abbot?"

Hlava laughed like a shrewd man, who takes note of everything passing around him, and answered,—

"They both kept secrets from the abbot, and I know not what would have happened if he had known this, for I went away earlier. The abbot, as an abbot, thunders sometimes at the young lady, but then he casts his eyes at her, and looks to see if he has not done her too much injustice. I have seen myself how he scolded her once, and then hurried to a casket and brought a chain such that a better could not be found in Cracow, and he said, 'Here.' She can get on with the abbot too, for her own father does not love her more than he does."

"That is true certainly."

"As God is in heaven."

Here they were silent, and went on farther through the wind and the snow-flakes; but suddenly Zbyshko reined in his horse, for from one side of the forest was heard a certain complaining voice, half smothered by the sound of the trees.

"Christian, save a servant of God from misfortune!"

At the same moment a person dressed half like a cleric, half like a layman, ran out to the road, where he stood before Zbyshko and said,—

"Whoever thou be, O lord, give aid to a man and a neighbor in dire distress!"

"What has happened, and who art thou?" asked the young knight.

"I am a servant of God, though without ordination, and it has happened this morning that my horse broke away, having on his back a casket with sacred objects. I was left alone, without arms; evening is coming, and it is short waiting till savage beasts will be heard in the forest. I shall perish unless you save me."

"If thou perish because of me must I answer for thy sins? How am I to know that thou speakest truth, and that thou art not a cutpurse, or a vagabond, many of whom are dragging along the roads these days?"

"You will know by my caskets. More than one man would give a purse filled with ducats to possess what is in