Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/400

376 the chin, pushed back his head, and said: "If thou art not ashamed to lie before people look up, because God too hears thee!" And he held him in that way as long a time as would be needed to say one "Our Father;" the other, when he was freed at last, inquired about Hlava's family, and learning that he came of nobles challenged him straightway to axes.

The Mazovians were pleased at this, and again more than one of them said: "Such men will not limp on the field of combat, and if truth and God are on their side the brothers of the Order will not bear away sound bones from this struggle." But Rotgier had cast sand in the eyes of all so successfully that many were alarmed touching this point: on which side is truth, and the prince himself shared the alarm with others. Hence on the evening before the combat he summoned Zbyshko to an interview, and inquired of him,—

"Art thou sure that God will be with thee? Whence knowest thou that they seized Danusia? Did Yurand tell thee anything? For, seest thou, here is Yurand's letter, written by Father Kaleb, and upon it is his seal. In this letter Yurand declares that to his knowledge the Knights did not carry off Danusia. What did he say to thee?"

"He said that it was not the Knights of the Cross."

"How canst thou risk life then and appear before the judgment of God?"

Zbyshko was silent; but after some time his jaws quivered and tears gathered in his eyes. "I know nothing, Gracious Lord," said he. "We went away from here with Yurand, and on the road I told him of the marriage. He began to complain that that might be an offence against Heaven, but when I told him that it was God's will he grew pacified, and forgave me. Along the whole road he said that no one had carried off Danusia but Knights of the Order, and after that I know not myself what happened. To Spyhov came that woman who brought some medicine for my use to the hunting-lodge, and with her one messenger. They shut themselves in with Yurand and counselled. What they said I know not, only after that conversation Yurand's own servants could not recognize him, for he was as if saved from a coffin then. He said to us: "Not the Knights of the Cross," but he let out of the dungeon Bergov and all the captives whom he had taken, God knows why; he went away himself without attendant or servant. He said that he was