Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/684

 246 Matsko stopped a while, and following further his own thought, added,—

"Well, Yurand does not see a man who is not saved; for that there is no remedy."

"What use in trying to get at God's judgments?" said Zbyshko. "But may the Lord not permit a stranger to dwell above the sacred remains of Yurand! Better leave all here, but Spyhov I would not sell, though I got a principality in return for it."

Matsko knew after these words that there was no help; he knew his nephew's stubbornness, and did homage in the depth of his soul to it, as well as to everything that was in the young man; so after a while he added,—

"It is true that the boy speaks against my grain, but there is truth in what he tells us."

And he was vexed, for in every case he knew not what to do. But Yagenka, who had been silent so far, appeared now with a new advice,—

"If an honest man could be found to manage Spyhov, or to rent it, that would be excellent. Best would be to rent the place, for there would be no trouble, nothing but ready money. Might not Tolima? He is old and understands war better than land management; but if not he, then perhaps Father Kaleb?"

"Dear young lady," answered the priest, "there is land ready for me and Tolima, but that which will cover us is not that on which we are walking."

Then he turned to Tolima.

"Is this true, old man?"

Tolima surrounded his pointed ear with his palm, and asked what the question was, and when they explained in a lower voice, he answered,—

"That is the holy truth. I am not for land management. I go deeper with an axe than a plough; before I die I should like to avenge my lord and his daughter."

And he stretched forth his lean but sinewy hands with fingers curved like the talons of a bird of prey, then turning his gray head, which resembled a wolf's head, toward Matsko and Zbyshko, he added,—

"Take me, your Grace, against the Germans; that is my service!"

And he was right. He had added no little to Yurand's wealth, but it was by war and plunder, not by land-tilling.

So Yagenka, who during this conversation had been thinking what to say, spoke again,—