Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/445

Rh asked he, 'for I lack cunning; but with them cunning is needed. Oi,' said he, 'my uncle Matsko is the man for this place!' And that is why he sent me to Bogdanets. But even you could not find Yurand's daughter, for she is in the other world perhaps by this time, and against death the greatest cunning is powerless."

Matsko fell into meditation, and only after long silence did he say,—

"Ah, there is no help then; cunning cannot fight against death. But if I should go there and discover even this, that they destroyed the girl, Spyhov would remain even in that case to Zbyshko, and he could come back alone and take another wife."

At this Matsko drew a deep breath, as if he had cast some weight from his heart, and Hlava inquired with a low, timid voice,—

"The young lady of Zgorzelitse?"

"Yes," answered Matsko, "all the more that she is an orphan, and Stan of Rogov with Vilk of Brozova are attacking her more and more."

Hlava sprang to his feet.

"The young lady an orphan? Where is her father?"

"Then thou knowest nothing?"

"By the dear God, what has happened?"

"Indeed, how couldst thou know? Thou hast come here directly, and we have talked only of Zbyshko. She is an orphan. True Zyh never warmed a place in the house unless he had guests there. When he had no guests it was straightway unpleasant at home for him. The abbot wrote to Zyh some time ago that he was going to visit Prince Premko of Osvetsim and begged the knight to go with him. That was a delight for Zyh, so well was he acquainted with the prince, and more than once they had had gladsome times together.

Zyh came to me. 'I am going to Osvetsim,' said he, 'and afterwards to Glevitse, but will you keep an eye on my house?' Something struck me then, and I said to him, 'Do not go, take care of your land and Yagenka, for I know that Stan and Vilk are thinking up something evil.' And thou shouldst know that the abbot, out of anger at Zbyshko, wanted Vilk or Stan for the girl; but later on, when he knew the fellows better, he had them beaten and thrown out of Zgorzelitse. This was well, but not very well, for they became desperately angry. There is a little peace just now, for they have had a duel and are in bed, but before that