Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/243

Rh "Zbyshko of Bogdanets."

"Oh, indeed! he who made the vow to Yurand's daughter had the same name."

"Do you think that I shall contradict? " answered Zbyshko, quickly and with pride.

"No, for there is no reason. Dear God, then you are that Zbyshko whose head the girl covered with a veil! After the return from Cracow the damsels talked of no one but you, and, while listening, tears flowed down the cheeks of more than one of them. So this is you! Hei! there will be joy at the court, for the princess also is fond of you."

"God bless her, and bless you for the good news for when people told me that she was married I suffered."

"What, marry! A girl like that is a dainty bit, for all of Spyhov stands behind her; but though there are many shapely fellows at the court, no one has looked into her eyes, for each respects her deed and your vow. Neither would the princess permit such conduct. Hei! there will be joy. It is true that sometimes the damsels jested with her; one would say, 'Your knight will not come,' then she would stamp with her feet and cry, 'He will! he will!' Though more than once, when some one told her that you had taken another, it came to tears."

These words touched Zbyshko, but anger at peoples' talk seized him straightway; so he said,—

"I will challenge any one who barked such things of me!"

"Women said them," answered Yendrek, beginning to laugh. "Will you challenge women? What can you do with a sword against a distaff?"

Zbyshko, glad that God had sent him so kind and cheerful a companion, fell to inquiring about Danusia, then about the habits of the Mazovian court, and again about Danusia; then about Prince Yanush and the princess, and again about Danusia. But at last, remembering his vows, he told Yendrek what he had heard on the way about war, how people were preparing, how they were waiting day by day for it, and at last he inquired if they had the same thoughts in Mazovia.

Yendrek did not think war so near. People said that it must be near, but he had heard the prince say to Pan Mikolai once that the knights had drawn in their horns, and, since they feared the power of King Yagello, were he to insist, they would withdraw from the lands of Dobryn which they