Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/454

16 "I thought that thou hadst seen the man already," said Matsko, drawing breath with satisfaction.

"Ei," answered she, still more sadly.

"Then what dost thou wish? How could I take thee among the Knights of the Cross?"

"Not necessarily among the Knights of the Cross. I should like to go now to the abbot, who is cast down with sickness in Sieradz. He has no loving soul there near him, but he is my godfather and benefactor. Were he well I should seek his protection, for people fear him."

"I shall not oppose that," said Matsko, who at the root of the matter was rejoiced at Yagenka's decision, for knowing the Knights of the Cross he believed profoundly that Danusia would not escape their hands alive. "I will only say this to thee, that there is terrible trouble with a girl on the road."

"There might be with another, but not with me. I have never fought yet, but it is no new thing for me to handle a crossbow, and endure toils in hunting. Whenever there is need of doing a thing I shall do it, never fear. I will take Yasko's clothes, put my hair in a net, strap a sword at my side, and ride away. Yasko, though younger, is not a hair smaller, and he is so like me in the face that when we disguised ourselves at the carnival my dead father could not tell which was Yasko and which I. The abbot will not know, you will see, nor will another."

"Will not Zbyshko?"

"If I meet him—"

Matsko meditated a while, then he laughed unexpectedly, and said,—

"But Vilk and Stan will go wild!"

"Let them go wild! The worst is that they may follow us."

"Have no fear. I am old, but they would better not crawl under my fist. They have tried Zbyshko already."

Thus conversing they reached Kresnia. In the church was old Vilk, who from time to time cast gloomy looks at Matsko, but the latter paid no heed to him, and returned home light-hearted with Yagenka after mass. But when they had taken farewell at the crossroads, and when he found himself alone in Bogdanets, less joyful thoughts entered his head. He understood that neither Zgorzelitse nor Yagenka's family were really threatened by anything in case she went on a journey. "They are striving for the girl," thought he, "that is another thing; but against the orphans or their