Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/241

Rh "Praised be Jesus Christ."

"For the ages of ages," answered the long-haired, unarmored horseman.

"God give you fortune!"

"And to you, lord."

"Glory to Saint George!"

"He is our patron. Lord, be greeted on the road."

Here they bowed to each other; and then Zbyshko announced his name, his escutcheon, his watchword, and the place whence he was going to the court of Mazovia. The long-haired knight declared that he was Yendrek of Kropivnitse, and that he was conducting guests of the prince, Brother Gottfried, and Brother Rotgier, with Foulk de Lorche of Lorraine, who, while visiting the Knights of the Cross, wished to see with his own eyes the Prince of Mazovia, and especially the princess, daughter of the famous "Kynstut."

While their names were in course of mention, the foreign knights, sitting erect on their horses, bent their heads covered with iron helmets, and bowed repeatedly; for they thought, judging from Zbyshko's brilliant armor, that the prince had sent out some distinguished person, perhaps a son or relative, to meet them.

"The comtur," continued Yendrek, "or, as you would say in our language, the starosta, of Yansbork is stopping as a guest with the prince, to whom he mentioned these three knights. 'They have a lively desire to come,' said he. 'but do not dare, especially the Knight of Lorraine, because, journeying from afar, he thinks that immediately beyond the boundary of the Order dwell Saracens, with whom war never ceases.' The prince, as a hospitable lord, sent me at once to the boundary to conduct them in safety among the castles."

"Could they not have passed without your aid?"

"Our people are terribly enraged at the Knights of the Cross, and not so much for their attacks, since we look in at them also, as for their great treachery. If a Knight of the Cross embrace thee to thy face and kiss thee, he is ready to plunge a knife into thy back at that very moment,—a custom quite swinish and hateful to us Mazovians. Yes! that is it! Every one will receive a German under his roof and do no harm to his guest, but on the road he is glad to attack him. And there are some who do nothing else