PART FOURTH: CHAPTER IV
"Whose retinue is this?" inquired Jurand, suddenly starting from musing,
as if from sleep, beyond Radzanow.
"Mine," replied Zbyszko.
"And did all my people perish?"
"I saw them dead in Niedzborz."
"Have you no old comrades?"
Zbyszko made no reply, and they traveled on in silence, but hurriedly,
because they wanted to get to Spychow as quickly as possible, hoping
possibly to meet some Teutonic messengers there. To their good fortune
the frosts set in again, and the highways were firm, so that they could
make haste.
Toward evening Jurand spoke again, and began to inquire about those
brethren of the Order who were at the Forest Court, and Zbyszko narrated
everything--their complaints, their departure, the death of de Fourcy,
his follower's action in crushing Danveld's arm so terribly, and, as he
spoke, one circumstance recurred strikingly to his mind, namely the
presence in the Forest Court of that woman who brought the healing
balsams from Danveld. During the bait, he commenced therefore to inquire
of the Bohemian and Sanderus about her, but neither knew exactly what had
become of her. It seemed to them, that she had left either in company
with those people, who came for Danusia, or soon after them. It now
occurred to Zbyszko's mind, that this might have been some one sent for
the purpose of warning the people in case Jurand should happen to be at
the court in person. In that case they would not claim to have come from
Spychow, but could have prepared another missive to give to the princess
instead of Jurand's fictitious letter. All this had been arranged with
hellish dexterity, and the young knight, who so far had known the Teutons
only from the battlefield, thought for the first time, that the fist was
not sufficient for them, but that they must be overcome with the head as
well. This was a sullen thought for him, because his great sorrow and
pain had become concentrated into a desire for fight and blood. Even help
for Danusia in his mind took the form of a series of battles either in
troops or singly; and now he perceived that it might be necessary to
restrain his desire for revenge and splitting of heads, like a bear on a
chain, and seek new means of saving and recovering Danusia. While
thinking of this, he felt sorry that Macko was not with him. Macko was as
cunning as he was brave. He secretly determined to send Sanderus from
Spychow to Szczytno, in order to find that woman and to try to learn from
her what had happened to Danusia. He said to himself that, even if
Sanderus wished to betray him, he could do little harm in the matter, and
on the contrary might render great service, because his trade gained
admittance for him everywhere. However, he wished to consult Jurand
first, but postponed it until their arrival in Spychow, the more so
because night came on, and it seemed to him, that Jurand, sitting on a
knight's high saddle, had fallen asleep from fatigue, exhaustion and
great anxiety. But Jurand rode with a bowed head only because misfortune
weighed it down. And it was apparent that he was constantly thinking of
it, with a heart full of terrible dread, because he finally said:
"I would rather be frozen under Niedzborz! It was you that dug me out?"
"I, with others."
"And at the hunt, you saved my child?"
"What should I have done?"
"Will you help me now, too?"
And there burst forth in Zbyszko at the same time such love for Danusia
and such great hatred toward the Teuton wrongdoers, that he rose in his
saddle and began to speak through tightly set teeth, as though with
difficulty:
"Listen to what I say: even if I have to bite the Prussian castles with
my teeth, I will do it and get her."
Then followed a moment's silence.
The vengeful and uncontrollable nature of Jurand also seemed to awake in
full force under the influence of Zbyszko's words, because he began to
gnash his teeth in the darkness and after a while to repeat again the
names: Danveld, von Loeve, Rotgier and Godfried! And he thought in his
soul that if they wanted him to restore von Bergow, he would do so; if
they demanded an additional payment he would give it, even if he had to
throw into the price Spychow entire; but then, woe to those who had
raised their hands against this his only child!
Throughout the whole night, sleep did not close their eyelids for a
moment. At dawn, they scarcely recognized each other, to such an extent
had their faces changed during this single night. At length Jurand was
struck by that pain and inveterate hatred on Zbyszko's face and therefore
said: "She saved you and snatched you from death--I know. But you also
love her?"
Zbyszko looked directly into his eyes with an almost defiant expression
and replied: "She is my wife."
Upon that, Jurand stopped his horse and looked at Zbyszko, blinking his
eyes with astonishment.
"What do you say?" he inquired.
"I say that she is my wife and I am her husband."
The knight of Spychow brushed his eyes with his sleeve, as if he were
dazed by a sudden thunder-stroke, and after awhile, without a word of
reply, he urged his horse forward to the head of the troop and rode on
silently.
Content of PART FOURTH: CHAPTER IV [Henryk Sienkiewicz's novel: The Knights of the Cross]
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