Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/518

80 In the rear wall a membrane window was pushed aside slightly, and through the opening blue eyes looked into the courtyard. Hlava saw this, and wished to move toward them to show the net fixed to his helmet, and to take one more farewell, but Father Kaleb and old Tolima hindered him. They had come down to give counsel for the journey.

"Go to the court of Prince Yanush," said Father Kaleb. "Maybe the knight Matsko has stopped there. In every case thou wilt find sure tidings, since for thee there is no lack of acquaintances in that place. The roads from there to Lithuania are known, and it is easy to find a guide through the forests. If thou wish surely to go to Pan Zbyshko, go not to Jmud directly, for a Prussian force is there, but take the road through Lithuania. Look to this too: the Jmud men might kill thee before thou couldst say who thou art, but the case is different if thou come from Prince Vitold. For the rest, God bless thee, and the two other knights. May ye return in health and bring back the maiden, for which intention I shall lie in cross form each day after vespers till the first stars appear."

"I thank you, father, for the blessing," said Hlava.

"To rescue that victim from those devilish hands is not easy; still, all things are in the hands of the Lord Jesus, and it is better to be cheerful than downcast."

"Of course it is; therefore I do not lose hope. Yes—hope strengthens us, though the heart's warnings are not useless. The worst is that Yurand himself, if her name is but mentioned, points toward the sky, as if he were showing her there."

"Indeed, he may see her there, after he lost his eyes."

And the priest began to speak partly to Hlava and partly to himself,—

"It does happen this way: when a man loses his earthly eyes, just then he sees that which no one else can see. It happens this way, it happens! But it does seem impossible that God should permit wrong to such an innocent. For what harm had she done to the Knights of the Cross? None! And, mind thee, she was as innocent as a lily of the Lord, and so good to people, and she was like a bird of the field, which is singing its song! God loves children and has pity for human suffering. Nay, if they have killed her He might resurrect her, as he did Piotrovin, who, after he had risen from the grave, lived for years.