Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/424

400 his dried-up breast caught its breath with effort. "And still, if that were for the greater profit and glory of the Order? If the punishment, which in that case would fall on those authors of the crime who are still living, should win Prince Yanush, hostile thus far, and facilitate a treaty, or even a truce, with him? They are passionate," continued the old comtur with himself, "but if one shows them a little kindness they forget their wrongs easily. The prince, for instance, was seized on his own territory, and still he takes no active vengeance."

Here the old man began to walk through the hall in great internal conflict, and finally he stopped before the crucifix, which opposite the entrance door occupied almost the height of the wall between both windows, and kneeling at the foot of it he began: "Enlighten me, O Lord, teach me, for I know not what to do! If I liberate Yurand and his daughter our deeds will be discovered in all their nakedness. People will not say: 'Dan veld did this,' or 'Siegfried did this;' they will say, 'the Knights of the Cross did this,' and infamy may fall on the whole Order, and hatred in that prince's heart will become still greater. If I do not liberate them, but hide or kill them, suspicion will remain on the Order, and I must defile my lips with lying in the presence of the Grand Master. What shall I do, O Lord? Teach me and enlighten! If vengeance is urging me on, then judge me according to Thy justice; but teach me now, enlighten me, for it is a question of Thy Order, and whatever Thou commandest I will do, even though I were to wait for death and liberation in a dungeon and manacled."

And. resting his forehead on the wood of the Cross, he prayed a long time, for it did not flash through his head for an instant that that prayer of his was blasphemous and crooked. Then he rose more at peace, believing that favor from the tree of the Cross had sent him a simpler and a clearer thought, and that something from above said: "Rise and await the return of Rotgier." "Yes! it was necessary to wait. Rotgier would slay that youth without fail, and then he would have either to secrete or liberate Yurand and his daughter. In the first case the prince would not forget them, it is true, but having no proof as to who seized the girl, he would search for her, he would send letters to the Grand Master, not with a complaint, but inquiring—and the case would go on in unending deferment. In the second case, delight at the return of Yurand's daughter would be