Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/259

Rh Now the princess and Danusia came out, both wearing hoods of white weasel-skin. The undegenerate daughter of Keistut knew better how to "sew" with an arrow than a needle. So behind her was borne a crossbow a little lighter than others, and adorned. Zbyshko, kneeling on the snow, held out his hand, on which the lady rested her foot when mounting; Danusia he raised to the saddle as he had Yagenka in Bogdanets; and they rode on.

The retinue stretched out like a long snake, turned to the right from the house, varied and shining on the border of the wilderness, like a colored selvage on the edge of black cloth, and then began to sink into it slowly.

They were rather deep in the forest when the princess said, turning to Zbyshko,—

"Why dost thou not talk? Now talk to her."

Zbyshko, though thus encouraged, was silent awhile yet, since a certain irresolution had mastered him; and only after the length of one or two Hail Marys did he say,—

"Danusia!"

"What, Zbyshko?"

"I love thee so."

Here he stopped to seek words which were difficult to find, for though he had knelt like a foreign knight before Danusia, though he showed her honor in every way, and strove to avoid common expressions, he strove in vain for courtliness, since his soul being full he could only speak simply. Hence he said, after a while,—

"I love thee so that my breath stops!"

She raised on him from beneath her weasel hood blue eyes, and a face which the cold forest breeze had made rosy.

"And I, Zbyshko!" said she, as if in haste. And she covered her eyes with their lids, for she knew then what love was.

"Hei, thou my little one! hei, thou my maiden!" said Zbyshko.

And again he was silent from emotion and happiness; but the kind and also curious princess came to aid him a second time.

"Tell her," said she, how dreary it was for thee without her, and when there is a thicket, thou mightst even kiss her on the lips. I shall not be angry, for that is the best way to give witness of thy love."

So he began to tell her how dreary his life had been without her in Bogdanets while he was caring for Matsko, and while