Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/461

Rh Zgorzelitse and entered the house with some fear. In the large front chamber in a baked clay chimney, which in that house was used instead of the fireplace common in the middle of apartments, pitch-pine sticks were burning cheerily and brightly, and above the table were blazing in iron sockets two torches, by the light of which Matsko saw Yasko, Hlava, and another youth with a face as ruddy as an apple.

"What is the matter, Yasko? What is the matter with Yagenka? " asked the old noble.

"Yagenka gave command to tell thee," said the youth, kissing Matsko's hand, "that she has changed her mind and will stay at home."

"Fear God, but what is this? How? What has shot into her head there?"

The youth raised his blue eyes to the old man and laughed.

"Why art thou giggling?"

At that moment Hlava and the other youth burst out also into joyous laughter.

"Well," cried the supposed Yasko, "who will know me since you do not?"

Only then did Matsko look closely at the charming figure, and cry,—

"In the name of the Father and Son! A regular carnival ! But why art thou here, thou imp?"

"Why? Whoso has a journey to make must be on the road."

"But thou wert to come here to-morrow at daylight."

"What an idea! To-morrow at daylight, so that all might see me! To-morrow they will think in Zgorzelitse that I am here, and will not look around till the day after. The housekeeper and Yasko know that I am going, but Yasko has promised on his knightly honor to tell only when people are alarmed. But you did not know me, did you?"

Matsko laughed now in his turn.

"Let me look again at thee. Hei! a wonderfully handsome lad thou art!—and peculiar. From such one might expect a new race—I tell the truth. Oh, if I were not old—well! But I tell thee, girl, take care of seeing me too often, take care!"

And laughing, he threatened with his finger, but he looked at her with great satisfaction, for he had never seen such a youth. She had a net of red silk on her head, she wore a coat of green cloth, trousers wide at the hips and close-fitting lower down; one leg of the trousers was the color of the