Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/336

312 De Lorche's words to those present. "Men of his family have held high office in the Order."

"Danveld and De Lowe mentioned him very emphatically," said the prince. "Whenever one of them opened his mouth he said that De Bergov must be liberated. As God is in heaven, they carried off the girl beyond doubt to liberate him."

"Then they will yield her up," said the priest.

"But it is better to learn where she is," said Pan Mikolai. "For suppose that the Grand Master asks, 'Whom shall I command to yield her up?' what answer shall we give?"

"Where is she!" asked Yurand, in a dull voice. "They are not keeping her surely on the boundary, out of fear that I might capture her, but they have taken her somewhere to a distant island of the sea, or the Vistula."

"We will find her and rescue her,' said Zbyshko.

But the prince broke out suddenly with suppressed anger :

"The dog brothers! they have seized her from my house, and insulted me; while I live I shall not forgive them. I have had enough of their treasons! enough of their attacks! Better for any one to have wolf men for neighbors! But now the Grand Master must punish those comturs, return the girl, and send envoys to me with excuses. Otherwise I will summon a levy!"

Here he struck the table with his fist, and added,—

"Oh, indeed! My brother of Plotsk will go with me, and Vitold, and the power of Yagello the king. There is an end of moderation! A saint would snort patience out of himself through the nostrils. I have had enough of it!"

All grew silent, waiting with their counsel till the prince's anger should be calmed. The princess rejoiced that he took the affair of Danusia to heart so much, for she knew that he was patient, but resolute, and that once he had undertaken a thing he would not leave it until he had won victory.

Then Father Vyshonek began,—

"Once there was obedience in the Order, and no comtur dared begin anything without permission of the Chapter and the Grand Master. For this reason God gave into their hands countries so considerable that He raised them almost above every other temporal power. But now there is among them neither obedience, justice, faith, nor honesty. Nothing but greed and such rage as if they were wolves and not men. How are they to obey the commands of the Grand Master or the Chapter when they do not obey those of God? Each