PART FOURTH: CHAPTER VI
The following day at noon the messengers saw Jurand, and soon afterward
they rode away taking with them von Bergow, two esquires and a number of
other prisoners. Jurand then summoned Father Kaleb and dictated a letter
to the prince, stating that Danusia had not been carried off by the
Knights of the Order, but that he had succeeded in discovering her
refuge, and hoped to recover her in a few days. He repeated the same to
Zbyszko, who had been wild with astonishment, dread and perplexity since
the night before.
The old knight refused to answer any of his questions, telling him
instead to wait patiently and not to undertake anything for the
liberation of Danusia, because it was unnecessary.
Toward evening he shut himself in again with Father Kaleb, whom he had
ordered to write down his last will; then he confessed himself, and after
receiving the sacrament, he summoned Zbyszko, and the old taciturn
Tolima, who used to accompany him in all his expeditions and fights, and
in times of peace administered the affairs of Spychow.
"Here," he said, turning to the old warrior and raising his voice, as if
he was speaking to a man who could not hear well, "is the husband of my
daughter whom he married at the prince's court, for which he had my
entire consent. Therefore, after my death, he will be the master and
owner of the castle, the soil, forests, waters, people and all the craft
in Spychow...."
Hearing this, Tolima was greatly surprised and began to turn his square
head to Jurand and to Zbyszko alternately, he said nothing, however,
because he scarcely ever did say anything, he only bowed to Zbyszko and
lightly embraced his knees. And Jurand continued:
"This is my will, written by Father Kaleb, and below is my seal in wax;
you must testify that you have heard this from me, and that I ordered
that the young knight should be obeyed here even as I am. Furthermore,
what is in the treasury in booty and money, you will show him, and you
will serve him faithfully in peace as well as in war till death. Did you
hear?"
Tolima raised his hands to his ears and nodded his head, then, at a sign
from Jurand, he bowed and went out; the knight again turned to Zbyszko
and said impressively:
"There is enough in the treasury to satisfy the greatest greed and to
ransom not one but a hundred captives. Remember!"
But Zbyszko inquired:
"And why are you giving me Spychow already?"
"I give you more than Spychow, in the child."
"And we know not the hour of death," said Father Kaleb.
"Yes, unknown," repeated Jurand, sadly, "a short time ago, the snow
covered me up, and, although God saved me, I have no more my old
strength...."
"Gracious God!" exclaimed Zbyszko, "something his changed within you
since yesterday, and you prefer to speak of death than of Danusia.
Gracious God!"
"Danusia will return, she will," replied Jurand; "she is under God's
protection. But if she returns ... listen ... take her to Bogdaniec and
leave Spychow with Tolima.... He is a faithful man, and this is a wild
neighborhood.... There they cannot capture her with a rope ... there she
is safer...."
"Hej!" cried Zbyszko, "and you talk already as if from the other world.
What is that?"
"Because I went half-way to the other world, and now I seem to be ill.
And I also care for my child ... because I have only her. And, you too,
although I know that you love her...."
Here he interrupted, and drawing a short weapon from its sheath, called
the _misericordia_, he held the handle toward Zbyszko.
"Swear to me now upon this little cross that you will never harm her and
that you will love her constantly...."
And tears suddenly started in Zbyszko's eyes; in a moment he fell upon
his knees and, putting a finger on the hilt, exclaimed:
"Upon the Holy Passion, I will never harm, and will love her constantly!"
"Amen," said Father Kaleb.
Jurand again put the "dagger of mercy" back into the sheath and extended
his arms:
"Then you are my child too!..."
They separated then, because it was late, and they had had no good rest
for several days. However, Zbyszko got up the following morning at
daybreak, because the previous day he had been frightened, lest Jurand
were really falling ill, and he wished to learn how the older knight had
spent the night. Before the door to Jurand's room he met Tolima, who had
just left it.
"How is the lord? well?" he inquired.
The other again bowed, and then, putting his hand to his ear, said:
"What orders, your grace?"
"I am asking how the lord is?" repeated Zbyszko, louder.
"The lord has departed."
"Where to?"
"I do not know.... In arms!"
Content of PART FOURTH: CHAPTER VI [Henryk Sienkiewicz's novel: The Knights of the Cross]
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