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PART SIXTH: CHAPTER VII
But she wiped away her tears, took the armor-bearer with her and went to
Jurand to tell him the news. She found him in a bright room, the tame
she-wolf at his feet, sitting with Father Kaleb, old Tolima and
Sieciechowa. Supporting their heads with their hands, absorbed in
thought, and sorrowful, they were listening to a poem which the village
beadle, who was also the _rybalt_, accompanied by his lute, sang of
Jurand's former exploits against the "abominable Knights of the Cross."
The room was lit up by the moon. A very warm and quiet night followed a
scorching day. The windows were open, and beetles from the linden in the
courtyard, were seen crawling upon the floor. In front of the fireplace,
where there were yet glimmering a few embers, sat the servant sipping a
mixture of hot mead, wine and spices.
The _rybalt_, or beadle, and servant of Father Kaleb, was about to begin
another song, entitled "The Happy Encounter." "Jurand is riding, riding,
upon a chestnut-colored horse," when Jagienka entered and said:
"The Lord Jesus be praised!"
"Forever and ever," replied Father Kaleb. Jurand sat in an armchair, with
his elbows upon the arms, but when he heard her voice he immediately
turned toward her, and began to greet her, nodding his milk white head.
"Zbyszko's armor-bearer has arrived from Szczytno," said the girl, "and
has brought news from the priest. Macko will not return to this place. He
went to Prince Witold."
"Why will he not return here?" asked Father Kaleb.
Then she told all she had heard from the Bohemian. She related how
Zygfried avenged himself for Rotgier's death; how the old _comthur_
intended to destroy Danusia for Rotgier to drink her innocent blood; and
how the executioner defended her. She even told them of Macko's hopes to
find Danusia, with Zbyszko's assistance, rescue her, bring her to
Spychow; and for that very reason he had gone to Zbyszko and ordered her
to remain here.
Be it from grief or sorrow her voice trembled at the end. When she
finished, silence prevailed for a while in the room and only the chirping
of the crickets, from the linden in the courtyard, penetrated through the
open windows and sounded like a heavy rainfall. All eyes were directed
toward Jurand, who with closed eyelids and head bent backward, showed no
sign of life.
"Do you hear?" finally asked the priest.
But Jurand kept on bending his head, lifted up his left hand and pointed
toward the sky. The light of the moon fell directly upon his face, upon
the white hair, upon the blind eyes; and there was depicted in that face
such indescribable suffering, together with complete hope and resignation
in God's will, that it appeared to all present that he only saw with his
soul which was freed from the fetters of the body, and had renounced once
for all earthly life, in which nothing was left for him.
Silence again reigned and the noise of the crickets was still audible.
But almost with filial love, Jagienka was suddenly overcome with great
pity for the unhappy old man. At the first impulse she rushed to his
side, grasped his hand and covered it with kisses and tears.
"And I too am an orphan!" she exclaimed, with swelling heart. "I am not a
boy, but am Jagienka of Zgorzelice. Macko took me in order to protect me
from bad people. Now I shall remain with you until God restores Danusia
to you."
Jurand was not at all surprised; he seemed to know it already; he only
took hold of her and pressed her to his breast, and she continued to kiss
his hand and spoke in a broken and sobbing voice:
"I will remain with you. Danuska will return.... Then I shall return to
Zgorzelice. God protects the orphans! The Germans have also killed my
father. But your beloved one is alive and will return. Grant this, O most
merciful God! Grant this, O most holy and compassionate Mother!..." Then
Father Kaleb suddenly knelt and with a solemn voice began to pray:
"Lord have mercy upon us!"
"Christ have mercy upon us!" immediately responded the Bohemian and
Tolima. Then all knelt down, because it was the Litany, which is not only
said at the moment of death, but also for the delivery of dear and near
persons from the danger of death. Jagienka knelt; Jurand slipped down
from his seat and knelt, and all began to pray in chorus:
"Lord have mercy upon us!"
"Christ have mercy upon us!"
"O God the Father in Heaven, have mercy upon us!"
"Son of God, Redeemer of the world, have mercy upon us!"
Their praying voices, "Have mercy upon us!" were mingled with the
chirping of the crickets.
The tame she-wolf suddenly got up from the bearskin upon which she was
crouching, in front of Jurand, approached the open window, supported
herself upon the sill, turned her triangular jaws toward the moon and
howled in a low and plaintive voice.
END OF PART SIXTH.
Content of PART SIXTH: CHAPTER VII [Henryk Sienkiewicz's novel: The Knights of the Cross]
Read next: PART SEVENTH#CHAPTER I
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