The Knights of the Cross, or, Krzyzacy. Генрик Сенкевич
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the guards, they entered the court-yard and turned to the left toward the part of the castle occupied by the princess.
The courtier meeting a servant in the doorway, asked:
"Where is Jurand of Spychow?"
"In the 'krzywy[62] room' with his daughter."
"It is there," said the courtier, pointing at the door.
Zbyszko crossed himself, raised the curtain in the doorway, and entered with throbbing heart. But he did not perceive Jurand and Danusia at once, because the room was not only "crooked" but dark also. But after a while he saw the fair head of the girl, who was sitting on her father's lap. They did not hear him when he entered; therefore e stopped near the door, and finally he said:
"May He be blessed!"
"For ages and ages," answered Jurand, rising.
At that moment Danusia sprang toward the young knight and having seized him with both hands, began to scream:
"Zbyszku! Tatus[63] is here!"
Zbyszko kissed her hands; then he approached Jurand, and said:
"I came to bow to you; you know who I am."
And he bent slightly, making a movement with his hands as if he wished to seize Jurand by his knees. But Jurand grasped his hand, turned him toward the light and began to look at him.
Zbyszko had already regained his self-possession; therefore he looked with curiosity at Jurand. He beheld before him a gigantic man with fallow hair and moustache, with a face pitted with smallpox and one eye of iron-like color. It seemed to him as if this eye would pierce him, and he again became confused. Finally, not knowing what to say, but wishing to say something to break the embarrassing silence, he asked:
"Then you are Jurand of Spychow, Danusia's father?"
But the other only pointed to an oaken bench, standing beside the chair on which he sat himself and continued to look at Zbyszko, who finally became impatient, and said:
"It is not pleasant for me to sit as though I were in a court."
Then Jurand said:
"You wanted to fight with Lichtenstein?"
"Yes!" answered Zbyszko.
In the eye of the Lord of Spychow shone a strange light and his stern face began to brighten. After awhile he looked at Danusia and asked;
"And was it for her?"
"For no other! My uncle told you that I made a vow to her to tear the peacock tufts from German heads. But now there shall be not only three of them, but at least as many as I have fingers on both hands. In that way I will help you to avenge the death of Danusia's mother."
"Woe to them!" answered Jurand.
Then there was silence again. But Zbyszko, having noticed that by showing his hatred of the Germans, he would capture Jurand's heart, said:
"I will not forgive them! They nearly caused my death."
Here he turned to Danusia and added:
"She saved me."
"I know," said Jurand.
"Are you angry?"
"Since you made a vow to her, you must serve her, because such is the knightly custom."
Zbyszko hesitated; but after awhile, he began to say with evident uneasiness:
"Do you know that she covered my head with her veil? All the knights and also the Franciscan who was with me holding the cross, heard her say: 'He is mine!' Therefore I will be loyal to her until death, so help me God!"
Having said this, he kneeled, and wishing to show that he was familiar with the customs of chivalry, he kissed both of Danusia's shoes with great reverence. Then he arose and having turned to Jurand, asked him:
"Have you ever seen another as fair as she?"
Jurand suddenly put his hands behind his head, and having closed his eyes, he said loudly:
"I have seen one other; but the Germans killed her."
"Then listen," said Zbyszko, enthusiastically; "we have the same wrong and the same vengeance. Those dog-brothers also killed my people from Bogdaniec. You cannot find a better man for your work. It is no new thing for me! Ask my uncle. I can fight either with spear or axe, short sword or long sword! Did my uncle tell you about those Fryzjans? I will slaughter the Germans for you like sheep; and as for the girl, I vow to you on my knees that I will fight for her even with the starosta of hell himself, and that I will give her up neither for lands nor for herds, nor for any other thing! Even if some one offered me a castle with glass windows in it but without her, I would refuse the castle and follow her to the end of the world."
Jurand sat for awhile with his head between his hands; but finally he awakened as from a dream, and said with sadness and grief:
"I like you, young man, but I cannot give her to you; she is not destined for you, my poor boy."
Zbyszko hearing this, grew dumb and began to look at Jurand with wondering eyes.
But Danusia came to his help. Zbyszko was dear to her, and she was pleased to be considered not "a bush" but "a grown-up girl." She also liked the betrothal and the dainties which the knight used to bring her every day; therefore when she understood that she was likely to lose all this, she slipped down from the arm chair and having put her head on her father's lap, she began to cry:
"Tatulu, Tatulu!"[64] He evidently loved her better than anything else, for he put his hand softly on her head, while from his face disappeared all trace of deadly grudge and anger; only sadness remained.
In the meantime Zbyszko recovered his composure, and now said:
"How is it? Do you wish to oppose God's will?"
To this Jurand replied:
"If it be God's will, then you will get her; but I cannot give you my consent. Bah! I would be glad to do it, but I cannot."
Having said this, he arose, took Danusia in his arms, and went toward the door. When Zbyszko tried to detain him, he stopped for a moment and said:
"I will not be angry with you if you render her knightly services; but do not ask me any questions, because I cannot tell you anything."
And he went out.
CHAPTER III
The next day Jurand did not avoid Zbyszko at all; and he did not prevent him from performing for Danusia, during the journey, those different services which, being her knight, he was obliged to render her. On the contrary, Zbyszko noticed that the gloomy Pan of Spychow looked at him kindly, as if he were regretting that he had been obliged to refuse his request. The young wlodyka tried several times to have some conversation with him. After they started from Krakow, there were plenty of opportunities during the journey, because both accompanied the princess on horseback; but as soon as Zbyszko endeavored to learn something about the secret difficulties separating him from Danusia, the conversation was suddenly ended.
Jurand's face became gloomy, and he looked at Zbyszko uneasily as if he were afraid he would betray himself.
Zbyszko thought that perhaps the princess knew what the obstacle was; so having an opportunity to speak to her privately, he inquired; but she could not tell him anything.
"Certainly there is some secret," she said. "Jurand himself told me that; but he begged me not to question him further, because he not only did not wish to tell what it was, but he could not. Surely he must be bound by some oath, as so often happens among the knights. But God will help us and everything will turn out well."
"Without Danusia I will be as unhappy as a chained dog or a bear in a ditch," answered Zbyszko. "There will be neither joy nor pleasure, nothing but sorrow and sighing; I will go against the Tartars with Prince Witold and may they kill me there. But first I must accompany uncle to Bogdaniec, and then tear from German heads the peacock's tufts as I promised. Perhaps the Germans will kill me; and I prefer such a death rather than to live and see some one else take Danusia."
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