Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/292

268 the wild bull would have hurled himself at the princess' horse. Both he and the Knight of Lorraine did much to save her."

"Indeed he is a resolute man," said Father Vyshonek; "even now when barely breathing he takes Yurand's part and has challenged those Germans. The master of Spyhov needs just such a son-in-law."

"Yurand talked rather differently in Cracow?—but he will not object now, I think," said Prince Yanush.

"The Lord Jesus will bring it about," said the princess, who entering that moment heard the last words of the conversation. "Yurand cannot refuse now, if God return health to Zbyshko. But there must be a reward from us also."

"The best reward for him is Danusia, and I think that he will get her, for this reason, that when women undertake something even a Yurand is helpless."

"But have I not undertaken a good work?" inquired the princess. "That Zbyshko is impulsive I will not deny; but there is not a truer man on earth than he. And the girl is as true as he is. She does not go one step from him, she thinks of him only, and he smiles at her in his pain so that tears fall from my eyes at moments. I tell thee the truth. Love like that is worth helping, for God's own mother delights in seeing human happiness."

"If only the will of God be there," said the prince, "happiness will come. But to tell the truth, they came near cutting his head off because of that maiden, and now the wild bull has crushed him."

"Do not say because of her!" exclaimed the princess; "no other but Danusia saved him in Cracow."

"That is true; but had it not been for her he would never have struck against Lichtenstein to wrest the plume from his helmet, and he would not have exposed himself for the man of Lorraine with such readiness. As to the reward, I have said that that belongs to both, and in Tsehanov I will provide it."

"Nothing would Zbyshko like to see so well as the belt of a knight and golden spurs."

The prince smiled good-naturedly, and added,—

"Let the girl take them to him, and when his wound is healed we shall see that all is finished in proper fashion. And let her take them quickly, for sudden pleasure is best."