Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/726

 288 rest because all had gone well, his face cleared somewhat, and he began first to speak of his expedition.

"Dost thou know that I have been in Malborg?" asked he.

"In Malborg?"

"But where else?"

Zbyshko looked at his uncle for a while with astonished eyes, then he slapped his own thighs suddenly, and added,—

"As God is true! But I had forgotten about death!"

"Thou art free to forget, for thou hast accomplished thy vows," said Matsko; "but God forbid that I should set aside my oath and honor. It is not our custom to neglect—and, so help me the holy cross, as long as there is breath in my nostrils I shall not neglect anything."

Now it grew dusky, and Matsko's face became threatening and resolute in such a way as Zbyshko had seen only in former years, when with Vitold and Skirvoillo they were going to battle with the Knights of the Cross.

"Well, and did you accomplish your vow?"

"No. I did not, for he would not meet me."

"Why so?"

"He has become grand comtur."

"Is Kuno Lichtenstein grand comtur?"

"Yes. Perhaps they will choose him Grand Master. Who knows? Even now he thinks himself the equal of princes. They say that he manages everything, and that all affairs of the Order are on his shoulders, while the Grand Master undertakes nothing without him. How was such a man to appear on trampled earth? To ask him would be to rouse the laughter of people."

"Did they bring thee to ridicule?" asked Zbyshko, and his eyes flashed suddenly with anger.

"The Princess Alexandra of Plotsk laughed. 'Go,' said she, 'and challenge the Roman Cæsar. To Lichtenstein,' said she, 'as we know challenges have been sent by Zavisha Charny, Povala of Tachev, and Pashko Zlodye, and even to those men he gave no answer, for he cannot. He is not lacking in courage, but he is a monk and he has an office so considerable and of such dignity that those things do not come to his head,—and he would lose more honor by accepting than by not paying attention to challenges.' That is what Princess Alexandra said."

"And what was your answer?"

"I was terribly cast down, but I said that even in that