Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/475

Rh that the passing knight's attendants were maidens, and fell in love madly with Yagenka; Hlava wished to challenge him to trampled earth straightway, but as this happened on the eve of their departure Matsko advised him against that action.

When they started on the journey to Plotsk the wind had dried the roads somewhat, for though frequent rains fell, as is usual in spring-time, they were brief in duration. The heat also was great, for spring had come at last. In the fields bright strips of water were shining in the furrows. From the plowed land came a strong odor of damp earth in the wind, the swamps were covered with buttercups; in the forest the wolf's foot had blossomed, and thrushes were raising a joyful twitter among branches. In the hearts of the travellers new hope and desire had risen, especially as they were travelling easily, and after sixteen days' journey they halted before Plotsk, but they arrived in the night-time. The gates were closed, hence they had to lodge outside the walls at a weaver's house. The girls, going to bed late, slept like stones, after the toil and hardships of a long journey. Matsko, whom no toil could conquer, did not wish to rouse them, but just as the gates were opened he went alone to the city, where he found the cathedral easily, and the bishop's house, where the first news which he heard was that the abbot had passed away six days earlier.

He was dead a week; but according to the custom of that age masses were celebrated over the coffin, and the funeral feasts continued six days. The burial was to take place that day, and after it services, and the final feast in honor of the departed.

Matsko from great distress could not look at the city, which moreover he knew somewhat from the time when he had travelled taking a letter from Princess Alexandra to the Grand Master. He returned as quickly as possible to the weaver's house outside the wall, and on the way said to himself,—

"Well, he is dead; eternal rest to him! There is no help against death in this world; but what am I to do now with those two girls?"

And he began to hesitate over this, and to think whether it would be better to leave them with Princess Alexandra, or Princess Anna Danuta, or take them to Spyhov. More than once on the road it had occurred to him that were Danusia no longer alive there would be no harm were Yagenka near