The Knights of the Cross/Volume 1/Chapter 24
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CHAPTER XXIV. The priest even feared that at a second awakening dizziness might seize the sick man and deprive him of his mind for a long time. But he promised the princess and Zbyshko that when Yurand spoke he would inform them. They left the chamber, and he went to sleep himself. Yurand woke on the second day just before noon, but this time in perfect consciousness. The princess and Zbyshko were with him. He sat up on the couch, looked at the princess, recognized her, and said,— "Gracious lady as God lives, am I in Tsehanov, then?" "Yes, and you have slept over Christmas." "The snow covered me. Who saved me?" "This knight, Zbyshko of Bogdanets. You remember, you saw him in Cracow." Yurand looked a while with his sound eye at the young man, then said,— "I remember. But where is Danusia?" "Did she come with you?" asked the princess, with alarm. "How could she come with me when I was going to her?" Zbyshko and the princess looked at each other, thinking that fever was speaking through Yurand's mouth yet. "Come to thyself," said the lady, "by the dear God! Was not the girl with you?" "The girl! With me?" asked Yurand, with amazement. "All your attendants perished, but she was not found among them. Why did you leave her in Spyhov?" Yurand repeated once more, but now with alarm in his voice,— "In Spyhov? Why, gracious lady, she is living with you, not with me." "But you sent people and a letter for her to the hunting-lodge." "In the name of the Father and the Son!" answered Yurand. "I have not sent for her at all." That moment the princess grew pale. "What is this?" asked she. "Are you sure that you are in your right mind?" "By the mercy of God! where is my child?" cried Yurand, springing up. "Listen. An armed escort came for Danusia to the hunting-lodge, bringing a letter from you. In the letter it was written that during a fire beams had crushed you; that you were half blind, and wished to see your daughter. Then they took Danusia and drove away." "Woe!" cried Yurand. "As God is in heaven, there was no fire in Spyhov, and I did not send for her." Now the priest returned with a letter, which he gave to Yurand, and asked,— "Is this the writing of your priest?" "I do not know." "But the seal?" "The seal is mine. What is in the letter?" Father Vyshonek read the letter; Yurand listened, grasping his own hair. "The letter is false," said he; "the seal imitated! Woe to my soul! They have seized my child, and will destroy her." "Who?" "The Knights of the Cross!" "God's wounds! We must inform the prince. Let him send messengers to the Grand Master!" cried the lady. "Merciful Jesus, rescue her, aid her!" Saying this, she hurried out of the room with a cry. Yurand sprang from his bed, and began feverishly to draw the clothing onto his immense back. Zbyshko sat as if petrified, but after a while his set teeth gritted ominously. "How do you know that the Knights of the Cross took her?" asked the priest. "I will swear on the Passion of Christ!" "Wait! It is possible. They went to the hunting-lodge to complain against you. They wanted vengeance." "They carried her away!" cried Zbyshko on a sudden. He rushed out of the room, and running to the stables commanded to make sleighs and saddle horses ready, without knowing clearly himself why he did so. He understood only this, that they must rescue Danusia, and go at once,—even to Prussia,—and there snatch her from enemies' hands or perish. He returned then to tell Yurand that arms and horses would be ready immediately. He was sure that Yurand also would go with him. In his heart anger was boiling, and pain and sorrow, but he did not lose hope; for it seemed to him that he and the terrible Knight could do anything, and that they might attack even all the power of the Order. In the room, besides Yurand, the priest, and the princess, he found Prince Yanush, De Lorche, and Pan Mikolai, whom the prince, when he had learned of the affair, summoned also to counsel; and he did so because of the old man's sound sense and perfect knowledge of the Knights, among whom he had passed long years in captivity. "We should begin prudently; avoid mistakes caused through anger, and not ruin the girl," said Pan Mikolai. "We should complain at once to the Grand Master, and if your Princely Grace gives me a letter, I will deliver it." "I will give the letter, and you will go with it," answered the prince. "We will not let the girl perish, so help me God and the holy cross! The Grand Master fears war with the King of Poland, and for him it is important to win over my brother and me. You may be sure that she was not carried off at his command—and he will order that she be delivered to us." "But if it was at his command?" asked the priest. "Though he is a Knight of the Cross, there is more honor in him than in others," answered the prince, "and as I have said to you, he would prefer at present to please rather than anger me. Oh, they put tallow into our skins as long as they were able, but now they understand that if we Mazovians help Yagello, it will go ill with them." "True," said Pan Mikolai. "The Knights of the Cross do nothing without a reason; so I conclude that if they have carried off the girl, they have done so only to knock the sword from Yurand's hand, or get a ransom, or exchange her." Here he turned to the lord of Spyhov. "Whom have you among prisoners?" "De Bergov," answered Yurand. "Is he a considerable person?" "Evidently a man of distinction." De Lorche hearing the question inquired about him, and when he learned what the question was, said,— "He is a relative of the Count of Guelders, a great benefactor of the Order, and of a family which has served it." "That is true," said Pan Mikolai, after he had interpreted De Lorche's words to those present. "Men of his family have held high office in the Order." "Danveld and De Lowe mentioned him very emphatically," said the prince. "Whenever one of them opened his mouth he said that De Bergov must be liberated. As God is in heaven, they carried off the girl beyond doubt to liberate him." "Then they will yield her up," said the priest. "But it is better to learn where she is," said Pan Mikolai. "For suppose that the Grand Master asks, 'Whom shall I command to yield her up?' what answer shall we give?" "Where is she!" asked Yurand, in a dull voice. "They are not keeping her surely on the boundary, out of fear that I might capture her, but they have taken her somewhere to a distant island of the sea, or the Vistula." "We will find her and rescue her,' said Zbyshko. But the prince broke out suddenly with suppressed anger : "The dog brothers! they have seized her from my house, and insulted me; while I live I shall not forgive them. I have had enough of their treasons! enough of their attacks! Better for any one to have wolf men for neighbors! But now the Grand Master must punish those comturs, return the girl, and send envoys to me with excuses. Otherwise I will summon a levy!" Here he struck the table with his fist, and added,— "Oh, indeed! My brother of Plotsk will go with me, and Vitold, and the power of Yagello the king. There is an end of moderation! A saint would snort patience out of himself through the nostrils. I have had enough of it!" All grew silent, waiting with their counsel till the prince's anger should be calmed. The princess rejoiced that he took the affair of Danusia to heart so much, for she knew that he was patient, but resolute, and that once he had undertaken a thing he would not leave it until he had won victory. Then Father Vyshonek began,— "Once there was obedience in the Order, and no comtur dared begin anything without permission of the Chapter and the Grand Master. For this reason God gave into their hands countries so considerable that He raised them almost above every other temporal power. But now there is among them neither obedience, justice, faith, nor honesty. Nothing but greed and such rage as if they were wolves and not men. How are they to obey the commands of the Grand Master or the Chapter when they do not obey those of God? Each in his own castle is like a ruling prince, and each helps the other in wickedness. If we complain to the Master they will deny. The Master will command them to yield up the girl, but they will not do so, or they will even say: 'She is not with us; we did not carry her away.' If he commands them to take an oath, they will take one. What are we to do then?" "What are we to do?" said Pan Mikolai. "Let Yurand go to Spyhov; if they carried her away, either they will give her for a ransom or exchange her for De Bergov; they must inform some one, and they will inform no one else but Yurand." "The men who came to the hunting-lodge took her," said Father Vyshonek. "Then the Grand Master will summon them to account, or command them to meet Yurand in the field." "They must meet me!" exclaimed Zbyshko, "for I sent the first challenge." Yurand took his hands from his face, and inquired,— "Who were at the hunting-lodge?" "Danveld, old De Löwe, and the two brothers, Gottfried and Rotgier," answered the priest. "They complained and wished the prince to command you to free De Bergov from captivity. But the prince, learning from De Fourcy that the Germans attacked first, reproached them and sent them away unsatisfied." "Go to Spyhov," said Prince Yanush, "for they will make announcement there. They have not done so yet, because the armor-bearer of this young knight here crushed Danveld's arm when he carried the challenge. Go to Spyhov, and when they make announcement let me know. They will send you your child in place of De Bergov, but still I shall not omit revenge, for they have offended me by taking her from my house." Here anger seized him anew, for really the Knights of the Cross had exhausted his patience, and after a while he added,— "Hei! they have blown and blown the fire, but at last they will burn their own snouts in it." "They will deny!" repeated the priest. "As soon as they notify Yurand that they have the girl, they will not be able to deny," answered Pan Mikolai, somewhat impatiently. "I believe that they are not keeping her on the boundary, and that, as Yurand has justly remarked, either they took her to some distant castle or to some island near the coast, but when there is proof that they did it they will not deny before the Master." But Yurand began to repeat in a kind of strange and terrible voice,— "Danveld, De Lowe, Gottfried, Rotgier!" Pan Mikolai recommended besides to send experienced and very adroit men to Prussia to inquire in Schytno and Insbork about Danusia, was she there, and if not whither had they taken her. The prince seized his staff and went out to give needful orders; the princess turned to Yurand, wishing to strengthen him with a kind word. "How do you feel?" asked she. He made no answer for a while, just as if he had not heard the question, but later he said on a sudden,— "As if some one had struck me in an old wound." "Have faith in God's mercy, Danusia will return; only give them De Bergov." "I would not begrudge them even blood." The princess hesitated whether or not to mention the marriage to him, but when she had thought a little she did not like to add a new pain to Yurand's misfortunes, which were already grievous, and moreover a certain fear seized her. "He and Zbyshko together will search for her; let Zbyshko tell him at an opportunity," thought she; "but now it might disturb his brain altogether." So she preferred to talk of something else. "Do not blame us," said she. "Men came in your colors with a letter bearing your seal, and announcing that you were sick; that sight was leaving you; that you wished to see your child once more. How could we oppose, and fail to carry out the order of a father?" Yurand fell at her feet. "I blame no one, gracious lady." "And know this, that God will restore her to you; for His eye is above her. He will send her rescue, as he sent it at the last hunt when the wild bull attacked us, and the Lord Jesus inspired Zbyshko to defend Danusia and me, for which reason the prince gave him spurs and a belt. You see! the hand of God is above her. Of course you grieve for your daughter, and I myself am filled with sorrow. I thought that she would come with you; that I should see my dearest, but meanwhile—" Her voice trembled and tears came to her eyes, but in Yurand despair, which up to that moment had been restrained, burst forth; for a while it was as sudden and terrible as a whirlwind. He seized his long hair with his hands and fell to beating the timbers of the wall with his head, groaning and repeating in a hoarse voice,— "O Jesus! O Jesus! O Jesus!" Zbyshko sprang to him, and shaking him by the arms with all his might, cried,— "To the road with us! To Spyhov!"
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