The Deluge: An Historical Novel of Poland, Sweden, and Russia. Vol. 1 (of 2)

by Henryk Sienkiewicz

  CHAPTER XVII.

  Pan Michael was right. Kmita had triumphed. The Hungarians and a partof the dragoons of Myeleshko and Kharlamp who had joined them, lay deadclose together in the court of Kyedani. Barely a few tens of them hadslipped out and scattered around the castle and the town, where thecavalry pursued them. Many were caught; others never stopped of acertainty till they reached the camp of Sapyeha, voevoda of Vityebsk,to whom they were the first to bring the terrible tidings of the grandhetman's treason, of his desertion to the Swedes, of the imprisonmentof the colonels and the resistance of the Polish squadrons.

  Meanwhile Kmita, covered with blood and dust, presented himself withthe banner of the Hungarians before Radzivill, who received him withopen arms. But Pan Andrei was not delighted with the victory. He was asgloomy and sullen as if he had acted against his heart.

  "Your highness," said he, "I do not like to hear praises, and wouldrather a hundred times fight the enemy than soldiers who might be ofservice to the country. It seems to a man as if he were spilling hisown blood."

  "Who is to blame, if not those insurgents?" answered the prince. "I toowould prefer to send them to Vilna, and I intended to do so. But theychose to rebel against authority. What has happened will not be undone.It was and it will be needful to give an example."

  "What does your highness think of doing with the prisoners?"

  "A ball in the forehead of every tenth man. Dispose the rest amongother regiments. You will go to-day to the squadrons of Mirski andStankyevich, announce my order, to them to be ready for the campaign. Imake you commander over those two squadrons, and over the third, thatof Volodyovski. The lieutenants are to be subordinate to you and obeyyou in everything. I wished to send Kharlamp to that squadron at first,but he is useless. I have changed my mind."

  "What shall I do in case of resistance? For with Volodyovski are Laudamen who hate me terribly."

  "Announce that Mirski, Stankyevich, and Volodyovski will be shotimmediately."

  "Then they may come in arms to Kyedani to rescue these officers. Allserving under Mirski are distinguished nobles."

  "Take a regiment of Scottish infantry and a German regiment. Firstsurround them, then announce the order."

  "Such is the will of your highness."

  Radzivill rested his hands on his knees and fell to thinking.

  "I would gladly shoot Mirski and Stankyevich were they not respected inthe whole country as well as in their own regiments. I fear tumult andopen rebellion, an example of which we have just had before our eyes. Iam glad, thanks to you, that they have received a good lesson, and eachsquadron will think twice before rising against us. But it isimperative to act swiftly, so that resisting men may not go to thevoevoda of Vityebsk."

  "Your highness has spoken only of Mirski and Stankyevich, you have notmentioned Volodyovski and Oskyerko."

  "I must spare Oskyerko, too, for he is a man of note and widelyrelated; but Volodyovski comes from Russia[21] and has no relativeshere. He is a valiant soldier, it is true. I counted on him,--so muchthe worse that I was deceived. If the devil had not brought hitherthose wanderers his friends, he might have acted differently; but afterwhat has happened, a bullet in the forehead waits him, as well as thosetwo Skshetuskis and that third fellow, that bull who began first tobellow, 'Traitor, traitor!'"

  Pan Andrei sprang up as if burned with iron: "Your highness, thesoldiers say that Volodyovski saved your life at Tsibyhova."

  "He did his duty; therefore I wanted to give him Dydkyemie for life.Now he has betrayed me; hence I give command to shoot him."

  Kmita's eyes flashed, and his nostrils began to quiver.

  "Your highness, that cannot be!"

  "How cannot be?" asked Radzivill, frowning.

  "I implore your highness," said Kmita, carried away, "that not a hairfall from Volodyovski. Forgive me, I implore. Volodyovski had the powernot to deliver to me the commission, for it was sent to him and left athis disposal. But he gave it. He plucked me out of the whirlpool.Through that act of his I passed into the jurisdiction of yourhighness. He did not hesitate to save me, though he and I were tryingto win the same woman. I owe him gratitude, and I have vowed to repayhim. Your highness, grant for my sake that no punishment touch him orhis friends. A hair should not fall from the head of either of them,and as God is true, it will not fall while I live. I implore yourhighness."

  Pan Andrei entreated and clasped his hands, but his words were ringingwith anger, threats, and indignation. His unrestrained nature gainedthe upper hand, and he stood above Radzivill with flashing eyes and avisage like the head of an angry bird of prey. The hetman too had astorm in his face. Before his iron will and despotism everythinghitherto in Lithuania and Russia had bent. No one had ever dared tooppose him, no one to beg mercy for those once condemned; but nowKmita's entreating was merely for show, in reality he presenteddemands; and the position was such that it was impossible to refusehim.

  At the very beginning of his career of treason, the despot felt that hewould have to yield more than once to the despotism of men andcircumstances, and would be dependent on adherents of far lessimportance than this one; that Kmita, whom he wished to turn into afaithful dog, would be rather a captive wolf, ready when angry to biteits master's hand.

  All this roused the proud blood of Radzivill. He resolved to resist,for his inborn terrible vengefulness urged him to that.

  "Volodyovski and the other three must lose their heads," said he, witha loud voice.

  But to speak thus was to throw powder on fire.

  "If I had not dispersed the Hungarians, these are not the men who hadlost their heads," shouted Kmita.

  "How is this? Are you renouncing my service already?" asked the hetman,threateningly.

  "Your highness," answered Pan Andrei, with passion, "I am notrenouncing; I am begging, imploring. But the harm will not happen.These men are famous in all Poland. It cannot be, it cannot be! I willnot be a Judas to Volodyovski. I will follow your highness into fire,but refuse not this favor."

  "But if I refuse?"

  "Then give command to shoot me; I will not live! May thunderbolts splitme! May devils take me living to hell!"

  "Remember, unfortunate, before whom you are speaking."

  "Bring me not to desperation, your highness."

  "To a prayer I may give ear, but a threat I will not consider."

  "I beg,--I implore." Here Pan Andrei threw himself on his knees."Permit me, your highness, to serve you not from constraint, but withmy heart, or I shall go mad."

  Radzivill said nothing. Kmita was kneeling; pallor and flushes chasedeach other like lightning gleams over his face. It was clear that amoment more and he would burst forth in terrible fashion.

  "Rise!" said Radzivill.

  Pan Andrei rose.

  "To defend a friend you are able. I have the test that you will also beable to defend me and will never desert. But God made you of nitre, notof flesh, and have a care that you run not to fluid. I cannot refuseyou anything. Listen to me: Stankyevich, Mirski, and Oskyerko I willsend to the Swedes at Birji; let the two Skshetuskis and Volodyovski gowith them. The Swedes will not tear off their heads there, and it isbetter that they sit out the war in quiet."

  "I thank your highness, my father," cried Andrei.

  "Wait," said the prince. "I have respected your oath already toomuch; now respect mine. I have recorded death in my soul to that oldnoble,--I have forgotten his name,--that bellowing devil who came herewith Skshetuski. He is the man who first called me traitor. Hementioned a bribe; he urged on the others, and perhaps there would nothave been such opposition without his insolence." Here the princestruck the table with his fist. "I should have expected death sooner,and the end of the world sooner, than that any one would dare to shoutat me, Radzivill, to my face, 'Traitor!' In presence of people! Thereis not a death, there are not torments befitting such a crime. Do notbeg me for him; it is useless."

  But Pan Andrei was not easily discouraged when once h
e undertook athing. He was not angry now, nor did he blaze forth. But seizing againthe hand of the hetman, he began to cover it with kisses and to entreatwith all the earnestness in his soul--

  "With no rope or chain could your highness bind my heart as with thisfavor. Only do it not half-way nor in part, but completely. That noblesaid yesterday what all thought. I myself thought the same till youopened my eyes,--may fire consume me, if I did not! A man is not toblame for being unwise. That noble was so drunk that what he had on hisheart he shouted forth. He thought that he was defending the country,and it is hard to punish a man for love of country. He knew that he wasexposing his life, and shouted what he had on his mind. He neitherwarms nor freezes me, but he is to Pan Volodyovski as a brother, orquite as a father. Volodyovski would mourn for him beyond measure, andI do not want that. Such is the nature within me, that if I wish goodto a man I would give my soul for him. If any one has spared me, butkilled my friend, may the devil take him for such a favor! Yourhighness, my father, benefactor, do a perfect kindness,--give me thisnoble, and I will give you all my blood, even tomorrow, this day, thismoment!"

  Radzivill gnawed his mustaches. "I determined death to him yesterday inmy soul."

  "What the hetman and voevoda of Vilna determined, that can the GrandPrince of Lithuania and, God grant in the future, the King of Poland,as a gracious monarch, efface."

  Pan Andrei spoke sincerely what he felt and thought; but had he beenthe most adroit of courtiers he could not have found a more powerfulargument in defence of his friends. The proud face of the magnate grewbright at the sound of those titles which he did not possess yet, andhe said,--

  "You have so understood me that I can refuse you nothing. They will allgo to Birji. Let them expiate their faults with the Swedes; and whenthat has happened of which you have spoken, ask for them a new favor."

  "As true as life, I will ask, and may God grant as quickly aspossible!" said Kmita.

  "Go now, and bear the good news to them."

  "The news is good for me, not for them; and surely they will notreceive it with gratitude, especially since they did not suspect whatthreatened them. I will not go, your highness, for it would seem as ifI were hurrying to boast of my intercession."

  "Do as you please about that, but lose no time in bringing thesquadrons of Mirski and Stankyevich; immediately after there will beanother expedition for you, from which surely you will not flee."

  "What is that?"

  "You will go to ask on my behalf Pan Billevich, the sword-bearer ofRossyeni, to come to me here at Kyedani, with his niece, and stayduring the war. Do you understand?"

  Kmita was confused. "He will not be ready to do that. He went fromKyedani in a great rage."

  "I think that the rage has left him already. In every case take men,and if they will not come of their own will put them in a carriage,surround it with dragoons, and bring them. He was as soft as wax when Ispoke with him; he blushed like a maiden and bowed to the floor, but hewas as frightened at the name of the Swedes as the devil is at holywater, and went away. I want him here for myself and for you; I hope toform out of that wax a candle that I can light when I like and for whomI like. It will be all the better if it happens so; but if not, I willhave a hostage. The Billeviches are very powerful in Jmud, for they arerelated to almost all the nobles. When I have one of them in my hands,and that one the eldest, the others will think twice before theyundertake anything against me. Furthermore, behind them and your maidenare all that throng of Lauda men, who, if they were to go to the campof the voevoda of Vityebsk, would be received by him with open arms.That is an important affair, so important that I think to begin withthe Billeviches."

  "In Volodyovski's squadron are Lauda men only."

  "The guardians of your maiden. If that is true, begin by conveying herto Kyedani. Only listen: I will undertake to bring the sword-bearer toour side, but do you win the maiden as you can. When I bring over thesword-bearer, he will help you with the girl. If she is willing, I willhave the wedding for you at once. If not, take her to the altar withoutceremony. When the storm is over, all will be well. That is the bestmethod with women. She will weep, she will despair, when they drag herto the altar; but next day she will think that the devil is not soterrible as they paint him, and the third day she will be glad. How didyou part from her yesterday?"

  "As if she had given me a slap in the face."

  "What did she say?"

  "She called me a traitor. I was almost struck with paralysis."

  "Is she so furious? When you are her husband, tell her that a distaffis fitter for her than public affairs, and hold her tight."

  "Your highness does not know her. She must have a thing either virtueor vice; according to that she judges, and more than one man might envyher her mind. Before you can look around she has struck the point."

  "She has struck you to the heart. Try to strike her in like manner."

  "If God would grant that, your highness! Once I took her with armedhand, but afterward I vowed to do so no more. And something tells methat were I to take her by force to the altar it would not be to myheart, for I have promised her and myself not to use force again. Ifher uncle is convinced he will convince her, and then she will look onme differently. Now I will go to Billeviche and bring them both here,for I am afraid that she may take refuge in some cloister. But I tellyour highness the pure truth, that though it is a great happiness forme to look on that maiden, I would rather attack the whole Swedishpower than stand before her at present, for she does not know my honestintentions and holds me a traitor."

  "If you wish I will send another,--Kharlamp or Myeleshko."

  "No, I would rather go myself; besides, Kharlamp is wounded."

  "That is better. I wanted to send Kharlamp yesterday to Volodyovski'ssquadron to take command, and if need be force it to obedience; but heis an awkward fellow, and it turns out that he knows not how to holdhis own men. I have no service for him. Go first for the sword-bearerand the maiden, and then to those squadrons. In an extreme case do notspare blood, for we must show the Swedes that we have power and are notafraid of rebellion. I will send the colonels away at once underescort; I hope that Pontus de la Gardie will consider this a proof ofmy sincerity. Myeleshko will take them. The beginning is difficult. Isee that half Lithuania will rise against me."

  "That is nothing, your highness. Whoso has a clean conscience fears noman."

  "I thought that all the Radzivills at least would be on my side, butsee what Prince Michael writes from Nyesvyej."

  Here the hetman gave Kmita the letter of Kazimir Michael. Pan Andreicast his eyes over the letter.

  "If I knew not the intentions of your highness I should think himright, and the most virtuous man in the world. God give him everythinggood! He speaks what he thinks."

  "Set out now!" said the prince, with a certain impatience.