Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/337

Rh in his own castle is like a ruling prince, and each helps the other in wickedness. If we complain to the Master they will deny. The Master will command them to yield up the girl, but they will not do so, or they will even say: 'She is not with us; we did not carry her away.' If he commands them to take an oath, they will take one. What are we to do then?"

"What are we to do?" said Pan Mikolai. "Let Yurand go to Spyhov; if they carried her away, either they will give her for a ransom or exchange her for De Bergov; they must inform some one, and they will inform no one else but Yurand."

"The men who came to the hunting-lodge took her," said Father Vyshonek.

"Then the Grand Master will summon them to account, or command them to meet Yurand in the field."

"They must meet me!" exclaimed Zbyshko, "for I sent the first challenge."

Yurand took his hands from his face, and inquired,—

"Who were at the hunting-lodge?"

"Danveld, old De Löwe, and the two brothers, Gottfried and Rotgier," answered the priest. "They complained and wished the prince to command you to free De Bergov from captivity. But the prince, learning from De Fourcy that the Germans attacked first, reproached them and sent them away unsatisfied."

"Go to Spyhov," said Prince Yanush, "for they will make announcement there. They have not done so yet, because the armor-bearer of this young knight here crushed Danveld's arm when he carried the challenge. Go to Spyhov, and when they make announcement let me know. They will send you your child in place of De Bergov, but still I shall not omit revenge, for they have offended me by taking her from my house."

Here anger seized him anew, for really the Knights of the Cross had exhausted his patience, and after a while he added,—

"Hei! they have blown and blown the fire, but at last they will burn their own snouts in it."

"They will deny!" repeated the priest.

"As soon as they notify Yurand that they have the girl, they will not be able to deny," answered Pan Mikolai, somewhat impatiently. "I believe that they are not keeping her on the boundary, and that, as Yurand has justly remarked,