Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/493

Rh "God will punish them," said Yagenka.

But Matsko turned to Hlava,—

"How didst thou know him?" 'I did not know him at once, though I saw him later than you did. But something was going through my head, and the more I looked at him the more it kept going. He had no beard or white hairs before; he was a great lord, and a rich one; how was it possible to recognize him in such a beggar! But when the young lady said that we were going to Schytno and he began to howl, my eyes were opened that instant."

"It would be well to take him from Spyhov to the Prince, who cannot permit such a wrong done a man of importance to go unpunished."

"They will deny, lord. They carried off his child by deceit, and they denied; they will say of the master of Spyhov that he lost his tongue and his hand in battle, and his eye also."

"True!" answered Matsko. "Indeed they carried off the Prince himself on a time. He cannot war with them, for he cannot overcome them unless the king helps him. People talk of a great war, but here there is not even a small war."

"Yes, there is, with Prince Vitold."

"Praise be to God that he is a man who cares nothing for the Order. Hei, Prince Vitold is the prince for me! And in cunning they cannot beat him, for he alone is more cunning than all of them together. It used to happen that they, the dog bloods, would press on him till destruction, like a sword, was above his head, but he would slip away, like a snake, and bite them right there. Look out for him when he strikes, but look out still more when he coaxes."

"Is he that way with all?"

"Not with all, only with Knights of the Cross; with others he is kind and bountiful."

Here Matsko meditated, as if wishing to bring Vitold to mind better.

"He is a man entirely different from the princes in these parts," said he at last. "It was Zbyshko's duty to go to him, for under him and through him it is possible to do most against the Order."

After a moment he added,—

"Who knows that we may not find them both there yet, that is the place for most proper vengeance."