Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/70

46 increasing constraint, and on his sunburnt cheeks a flush appeared. It was evident that in presence of that cool insolence he struggled not to grit his teeth and burst out in awful anger.

Povala saw this, and, having a good heart, resolved to give aid. He too, during the years of his youth, had sought various knightly adventures at the Hungarian, Austrian, Burgundian, and Bohemian courts, adventures which made his name widely famous; he had learned German, so now he spoke to Matsko in that language, in a voice conciliatory and purposely facetious,

"You see, gentlemen, that the noble comtur considers the whole affair as not worth one word. Not only in our kingdom, but everywhere, striplings are without perfect reason; such a knight as he will not war against children, either with the sword or the law."

Lichtenstein, in answer, pouted with his yellow moustaches, and without saying a word urged his horse forward, passing Matsko and Zbyshko; but wild anger began to raise the hair under their helmets, and their hands quivered toward their swords.

"Wait, son of the Order! " said the elder master of Bogdanets through his set teeth, "I make the vow now, and will find thee when thou hast ceased to be an envoy."

"That will come later," said Povala, whose heart had begun also to be filled with blood. "Let the princess speak for you now, otherwise woe to the young man."

Then he rode after Lichtenstein, stopped him, and for some time they conversed with animation. Matsko and Zbyshko noticed that the German did not look on Povala with such a haughty face as on them, and this brought them to still greater anger. After a time Povala turned toward the two men, and waiting awhile till the Knight of the Cross had gone forward, he said,—

"I have spoken on your behalf, but that is an unrelenting man. He says that he will refrain from making complaint only in case you do what he wishes."

"What does he wish?"

"'I will stop to greet the princess of Mazovia,' said he; 'let them ride up to where we are, come down from their horses, take off their helmets, and on the ground, with bare heads, beg of me.'" Here Povala looked quickly at Zbyshko, and added: "This is difficult for men of noble birth—I understand, but I must forewarn thee that if thou wilt not do