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Rh loneliness. Finally it was arranged that Zbyshko and Danusia should prepare for confession. The marriage would take place in the night, when all had lain down to sleep.

For a moment Zbyshko had thought to take the Cheh as a witness of the marriage, but he rejected the plan when he remembered that Hlava had come from Yagenka. For a while Yagenka stood before him in memory, as if living. She stood in such a way that it seemed to him that he was looking at her ruddy face, and her eyes that had been weeping, and he heard her imploring voice, which said: "Do not do that! do not pay me with evil for good, with misfortune for love!" All at once great compassion for her seized him, because he felt that grievous pain would be inflicted on her, after which she would not find solace either under her father's roof or in the depth of the forest, or in the field, or in the gifts of the abbot, or in the love-making of Stan and Vilk. So he said to her in spirit: "God grant thee, O maiden, everything that is best, but, though I should be glad to bend down the heavens for thee, I cannot." And, in fact, the conviction that that was not in his power brought relief at once and restored peace to him, so that he thought then only of Danusia and the marriage.

But he could not dispense with the aid of the Cheh, so, though he had determined to say nothing in his presence of what was to happen, he asked to have him called.

"I am going to confession," said he to Hlava, "and to the Table of the Lord; so array me in the best manner possible, as if I were going to royal chambers."

The Cheh was alarmed somewhat, and looked at his face. Zbyshko understood what this meant, and said,—

"Have no fear; people confess before other events as well as death; but this time is all the more fitting since the holidays are near, when the princess and Father Vyshonek are going to Tsehanov, and there will be no priest nearer than Prasnysh."

"But will your Grace not go?" asked the attendant.

"I shall go if I recover; but my recovery is in God's hands."

Hlava was pacified, and hurrying to the box brought that white, gold-embroidered jacket in which the knight arrayed himself for great solemnities, and also a beautiful rug to cover his feet in the bed. Then, when he had raised Zbyshko, with the aid of the two Turks, he washed him, combed his long hair, around which he put a scarlet head-band. Finally he