Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/354

330 pious knights a second time; therefore they prefer to give your child into your own hands."

"But who will guarantee me a return after I have crawled into the wolf's throat?"

"The virtue of the brothers, their piety and justice."

Yurand walked up and down in the room; he began to foresee treason, and he feared it, but he felt at the same time that the Knights of the Cross had power to impose such conditions as pleased them, and that in presence of them he was powerless.

But evidently some plan came to his head; for stopping before the pilgrim on a sudden, he examined him quickly; then he turned to the woman, and said,—

"Well, I will go to Schytno. You and this man, who has on him the dress of a pilgrim, will await my return, after that you will go from here with De Bergov and the captives."

"You do not wish, lord, to believe the knights," replied the pilgrim; "how, then, are they to believe that when you return you will release us with De Bergov and the others?"

Yurand's face grew pale from indignation, and a terrible moment came, in which it seemed that he was just ready to seize the pilgrim by the breast and put him under his knees, but he throttled the anger in his bosom, drew a deep breath, and spoke slowly with emphasis,—

"Whoever thou be, bend not my patience over much lest it break."

But the pilgrim turned to the sister.

"Tell what is commanded thee."

"Lord," said she, "we would not dare to doubt your oath on the sword and the honor of a knight, but it would not be proper for you to take an oath before people of common position, and we were not sent here for your oath."

"For what did they send you?"

"The brothers told us that you are not to mention to any one that you must be in Schytno with De Bergov and the captives."

At this Yurand's arms began to push backward and his fingers to spread out like the talons of a bird of prey; standing before the woman, he bent, as if he wished to speak into her ear.

"Did they not tell you that I would give command to break you and De Bergov on the wheel in Spyhov?"

"Your daughter is in the power of the knights, and in the