Page:Zakhar Berkut(1944).djvu/102

 “Oh, father! How you rend my heart! Have I hurt you so deeply? I know that you love me! I I  will never leave you! I will be your slave, your captive to my dying day, but please don’t go there and allow our good name to be forever dishonored!” Still weeping, she knelt at her father’s feet and embraced his knees with her arms bathing his hands in her tears. Tuhar Wolf was visibly moved, two tears squeezed themselves out of his old eyes and dropped down upon her. He lifted Peace-Renown to her feet and embraced her fiercely.

“My child,” he spoke very gently now, “don’t complain so against me! Misfortune has filled my heart with bitterness and my mind with anger. But I know that your heart is of purest gold and that you will not desert me in my days of trial and anxiety. You see, we two are alone in the world with no one to turn to, no one from whom we can expect any help, only ourselves. We have no other choice. We must accept aid from whomever we can get it!”

“Father, father!” cried Peace-Renown through tears. “Your resentment against the Tukholians has blinded you and is compelling you to your own destruction. Suppose we are unfortunate, is that any reason why we should become traitors to our country? No! It is better for us, if we are cast out of society, to die of starvation first!”

“You are too young, my daughter, too zealous without being aware of what starvation and poverty are like. I have experienced them both and want to protect you from such knowledge. Just don’t argue with me! Come let’s ride to our destination! What is predestined will happen, we cannot outwit our fate!” He jumped upon his horse and spurred him on. It was no use for Peace-Renown to try to stop him now, he was already descending the other side of the mountain. Weeping, she followed after him. In her simple, childish faith, she continued to believe that she would still be able to somehow win her father over and protect him from inviting his own doom