Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/245

Rh "I have a board on which is a challenge to every man who will not admit that Panna Danusia, the daughter of Yurand, is the most beautiful and virtuous maiden on earth. But, do you know, people everywhere shrugged their shoulders, and laughed—"

"Yes, for that is a foreign custom, and, to tell the truth, stupid, which people among us do not know unless somewhere on the borders. So this man of Lorraine too attacked a noble on the road, commanding him to glorify some lady of his above others. But nobody understood him, and I would not let them do battle."

"How is that? He commanded to glorify his lady? Fear God! It must be that he has no shame in his eyes."

Here he glanced at the foreign knight, as if he wished to be sure how a man looked who had no shame in his eyes; but in his soul he had to confess that Foulk de Lorche did not seem at all like a common rascal. On the contrary, from beneath his raised visor gazed mild eyes; his face was youthful, but full of a certain pensiveness. Zbyshko saw with astonishment, also, that the knight's neck was thrice surrounded by a rope of hair which passed along his armor to one ankle, and ended by being wound around it three times.

"What kind of rope is he wearing?" inquired Zbyshko.

"I could not learn accurately myself, for they do not understand our language, except Brother Rotgier, who is able to say a couple of words, but not very well. I think, however, that that young knight has made a vow not to remove the rope till he has performed some great knightly deed. In the day he wears it over his armor, in the night on his bare body."

"Sanderus!" called Zbyshko, suddenly.

"At your service!" answered the German, approaching.

"Ask that knight who is the most virtuous and most wonderful maiden in the world."

"Who is the most wonderful and most virtuous maiden in the world?" asked Sanderus.

"Ulrica de Elner!" answered De Lorche. And raising his eyes he sighed repeatedly.

Indignation stopped the breath in Zbyshko's breast when he heard blasphemy like that; great anger seized him and he reined in his stallion on the spot; but before he was able to speak Yendrek interposed his own horse between him and the foreigner, and said,—