Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/394

370 you thought her Yurand's daughter, and therefore invited him to Schytno."

"True, Gracious Lady," answered Rotgier.

"But how could you think so, since you had seen Yurand's real daughter with me in the hunting-lodge?"

At this Rotgier was confused, for he was not prepared for the question. The prince rose and fixed a stern glance on him; Mikolai of Dlugolyas, Mrokota, Yasko, and other Mazovian knights sprang at once toward him, asking one after another in threatening voices,—

"How could you think so? Say, German! How was that possible?"

But Rotgier rallied.

"We brothers of the Order," said he, "do not raise our eyes on women. At the lodge there were damsels not a few in attendance on the Gracious Princess, but who among them was Yurand's daughter no man of us knew."

"Danveld knew her," said Mikolai. "He conversed with her even, at the hunt."

"Danveld is standing in the presence of God," answered Rotgier, "and I will say only this of him, that on the morning after his death blooming roses were found on his coffin. As the season is winter no human hand could have put them there."

Again silence followed.

"How did ye know that Yurand's daughter was stolen?" inquired the prince.

"The very godlessness and insolence of the deed caused it to be bruited about in all places. Hence on hearing of it we had a mass celebrated in thanksgiving that it was only an ordinary damsel and not one of your Grace's children that was stolen from the hunting-lodge."

"But it is a wonder to me that ye could consider an idiot girl to be the daughter of Yurand."

To this Brother Rotgier answered,—

"Danveld said, 'Satan often betrays his servants, so perhaps he transformed Yurand's daughter.'"

"But the bandits could not, as they are ignorant people, forge a letter from Father Kaleb and put Yurand's seal on it. Who could have done that?"

"The evil spirit."

Again no one was able to find an answer. Rotgier looked carefully into the eyes of the prince, and said,—

"In truth these questions are as swords in my breast, for