Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/514

76 hanged him, and for that reason, young lady, there is war now."

"But Prince Vitold?"

"The Prince closed his eyes for a good while to the wrongs of this people and loved the Knights of the Order. Not long since the princess, his wife, went to Prussia, to Malborg itself, on a visit. They received her there as if she had been Queen of Poland. And this was not long ago, just lately! They covered her with gifts, and what feasts, tournaments, and various wonders there were no man could reckon. People thought that love would last forever between the Knights and Prince Vitold, till all on a sudden the heart changed in him."

"I think, from what my late father and Matsko said about Vitold that his heart changes often."

"Toward honest men never, but toward the Knights of the Cross often through this cause, that they themselves never keep faith in anything. Just now they wished Vitold to render up fugitives, and he answered that people of low estate he would give, but a free man he did not think of giving, since a free man has the right to live where it pleases him. Therefore the Knights and Vitold began to dispute, they wrote letters with complaints, they threatened each other. When the Jmud men heard of this they rose straightway and fell on the Germans. They cut down garrisons, they stormed castles, and now they are attacking even Prussia. Vitold not only is not restraining them, but he smiles at German vexation and sends aid to the Jmud men in secret."

"I understand," said Yagenka. "But if the aid is secret, there is no war yet."

"There is war with the Jmud men openly, and with Vitold in fact. The Germans are going from all sides to defend their outlying castles, and they would be glad to make a great raid on Jmud; but they must wait for this yet a long time, that is till winter, for the country is swampy and the Knights cannot fight there. Where a Jmud man goes safely, a German will stick fast; for that reason winter is the friend of the Germans. When frost comes the whole force of the Order will move, and Prince Vitold will go to strengthen the Jmud men—and he will go with permission of the King of Poland, for the king is his liege lord and is above the Grand Prince and all Lithuania."