Page:Sienkiewicz - The knights of the cross.djvu/95

Rh pity for the prisoner; this pity was increased by his innate hatred for the Germans. But as a Lithuanian he was accustomed to accomplish blindly the will of the grand prince; and, terrified by the anger of the king, he whispered to Zbyshko in friendly persuasion,—

"Knowst what I will say to thee? hang thyself! The best is to hang thyself right away. The king is angry,—and they will cut off thy head. Why not make him glad? Hang thyself, friend! with us it is the custom."

Zbyshko, half unconscious from shame and fear, seemed at first not to understand the words of the little prince; but at last he understood, and stood still from astonishment.

"What dost thou say?"

"Hang thyself! Why should they judge thee? Thou wilt gladden the king!" repeated Yamont.

"Hang thyself, if thou wish!" cried Zbyshko. "They baptized thee in form, but the skin on thee has remained pagan; and thou dost not even understand that it is a sin for a Christian to do such a thing."

"But it would not be of free will," answered the prince, shrugging his shoulders. "If thou dost not do this, they will cut off thy head."

It shot through Zbyshko's mind that for such words it would be proper to challenge the young boyarin at once to a conflict on foot or on horseback, with swords or with axes; but he stifled that idea, remembering that there would be no time for such action. So, dropping his head gloomily and in silence, he let himself be delivered into the hands of the leader of the palace bowmen.

Meanwhile, in the dining-hall universal attention was turned in another direction. Danusia, seeing what was taking place, was so frightened at first that the breath was stopped in her breast. Her face became as pale as linen; her eyes grew round from terror, and, as motionless as a wax figure in a church, she gazed at the king. But when at last she heard that they were to cut off her Zbyshko's head, when they seized him and led him forth from the hall, measureless sorrow took possession of her; her lips and brows began to quiver; nothing was of effect,—neither fear of the king nor biting her lips with her teeth; and on a sudden she burst into weeping so pitiful and shrill that all faces turned to her, and the king himself asked,—

"What is this?"

"Gracious king!" exclaimed Princess Anna, "this is the