Pan Michael: An Historical Novel of Poland, the Ukraine, and Turkey

by Henryk Sienkiewicz

  CHAPTER XXXIII.

  As much as Pan Bogush hastened when going from Hreptyoff to the hetman,so much did he loiter on the way back. He halted a week or two in eachmore considerable place; he spent Christmas in Lvoff, and the New Yearcame on him there. He carried, it is true, the hetman's instructionsfor the son of Tugai Bey; but they contained merely injunctions tofinish the affair of the captains promptly, and a dry and eventhreatening command to leave his great plans. Pan Bogush had no reasonto push on, for Azya could do nothing among the Tartars without adocument from the hetman. He loitered, therefore, visiting churchesalong the road, and doing penance because he had joined Azya's plans.

  Meanwhile guests had swarmed into Hreptyoff immediately after the NewYear. From Kamenyets came Naviragh, a delegate from the patriarch ofEchmiadzin, with him the two Anardrats, skilful theologians from Kaffa,and a numerous retinue. The soldiers wondered greatly at the strangegarments of these men, at the violet and red Crimean caps, long shawls,velvet and silk, at their dark faces, and the great gravity with whichthey strode, like bustards or cranes, through the Hreptyoff stanitsa.Pan Zaharyash Pyotrovich, famed for his continual journeys to theCrimea, nay, to Tsargrad itself, and still more for the eagerness withwhich he sought out and ransomed captives in the markets of the East,accompanied, as interpreter, Naviragh and the Anardrats. PanVolodyovski counted out to him at once the sum needful to ransom PanBoski; and since the wife had not money sufficient, he gave from hisown; Basia added her ear-rings with pearls, so as to aid moreefficiently the suffering lady and her charming daughter. PanSeferovich, pretor of Kamenyets, came also,--a rich Armenian whosebrother was groaning in Tartar bonds,--and two women, still young andof beauty far from inconsiderable, though somewhat dark, PaniNeresevich and Pani Kyeremovich. Both were concerned for their captivehusbands.

  The guests were for the greater part in trouble, but there were joyousones also. Father Kaminski had sent, to remain for the carnival atHreptyoff, under Basia's protection, his niece Panna Kaminski; and on acertain day Pan Novoveski the younger--that is, Pan Adam--burst in likea thunderbolt. When he had heard of the arrival of his father atHreptyoff he obtained leave at once from Pan Rushchyts, and hastened tomeet him.

  Pan Adam had changed greatly during the last few years; first of all,his upper lip was shaded thickly by a short mustache, which did notcover his teeth, white as a wolf's teeth, but was handsome and twisted.Secondly, the young man, always stalwart, had now become almost agiant. It seemed that such a dense and bushy forelock could grow onlyon such an enormous head, and such an enormous head could find needfulsupport only on fabulous shoulders. His face, always dark, was swarthyfrom the winds; his eyes were gleaming like coals; defiance was as ifwritten on his features. When he seized a large apple he hid it soeasily in his powerful palm that he could play "guess which one;" andwhen he put a handful of nuts on his knee and pressed them with hishand he made snuff of them. Everything in him went to strength; stillhe was lean,--his stomach was receding, but the chest above it was asroomy as a chapel. He broke horseshoes with ease, he tied iron rodsaround the necks of soldiers, he seemed even larger than he was inreality; when he walked, planks creaked under him; and when he stumbledagainst a bench, he knocked splinters from it.

  In a word, he was a man in a hundred, in whom life, daring, andstrength were boiling, as water in a caldron. Not being able to findroom, in even such an enormous body, it seemed that he had a flame inhis breast and his head, and involuntarily one looked to see if hisforelock were not steaming. In fact, it steamed sometimes, for he wasgood at the goblet. To battle he went with a laugh which recalled theneighing of a charger; and he hewed in such fashion that when eachengagement was over soldiers went to examine the bodies left by him,and wonder at his astonishing blows. Accustomed, moreover, fromchildhood to the steppe, to watchfulness and war, he was careful andforeseeing in spite of all his vehemence; he knew every Tartarstratagem, and, after Volodyovski and Rushchyts, was deemed the bestpartisan leader.

  In spite of threats and promises, old Novoveski did not receive his sonvery harshly; for he feared lest he might go away again if offended,and not show himself for another eleven years. Besides, the selfishnoble was satisfied at heart with that son who had taken no money fromhome, who had helped himself thoroughly in the world, won glory amonghis comrades, the favor of the hetman, and the rank of an officer,which no one else could have struggled to without protection. Thefather considered that this young man, grown wild in the steppes, mightnot bend before the importance of his father, and in such a case it wasnot best to expose it to the test. Therefore the son fell at his feet,as was proper; still he looked into his eyes, and at the first reproachhe answered without ceremony,--

  "Father, you have blame in your mouth, but at heart you are glad, andwith reason, I have incurred no disgrace,--I ran away to the squadron;besides, I am a noble."

  "But you may be a Mussulman," said the father, "since you did not showyourself at home for eleven years."

  "I did not show myself through fear of punishment, which would berepugnant to my rank and dignity of officer. I waited for a letter ofpardon; I saw nothing of the letter, you saw nothing of me."

  "But are you not afraid at present?"

  The young man showed his white teeth with a smile. "This place isgoverned by military power, to which even the power of a father mustyield. Why should you not, my benefactor, embrace me, for you have ahearty desire to do so?"

  Saying this, he opened his arms, and Pan Novoveski did not know himselfwhat to do. Indeed, he could not quarrel with that son who went out ofthe house a lad, and returned now a mature man and an officersurrounded with military renown. And this and that flattered greatlythe fatherly pride of Pan Novoveski; he hesitated only out of regardfor his personal dignity.

  But the son seized him; the bones of the old noble cracked in thebear-like embrace, and this touched him completely.

  "What is to be done?" cried he, panting. "He feels, the rascal, that heis sitting on his own horse, and is not afraid. 'Pon my word! if I wereat home, indeed I should not be so tender; but here, what can I do?Well, come on again."

  And they embraced a second time, after which the young man began toinquire hurriedly for his sister.

  "I gave command to keep her aside till I called her," said the father;"the girl will jump almost out of her skin."

  "For God's sake, where is she?" cried the son, and opening the door hebegan to call so loudly that an echo answered, "Eva! Eva!" from thewalls.

  Eva, who was waiting in the next chamber, rushed in at once; but shewas barely able to cry "Adam!" when strong arms seized her and raisedher from the floor. The brother had loved her greatly always; in oldtimes, while protecting her from the tyranny of their father, he tookher faults on himself frequently, and received the floggings due her.In general the father was a despot at home, really cruel; therefore themaiden greeted now in that strong brother, not a brother merely, buther future refuge and protection. He kissed her on the head, on theeyes and hands; at times he held her at arms' length, looked into herface, and cried out with delight,--

  "A splendid girl, as God is dear to me!" Then again, "See how she hasgrown! A stove,[24] not a maiden!"

  Her eyes were laughing at him. They began to talk then very rapidly, oftheir long separation, of home and the wars. Old Pan Novoveski walkedaround them and muttered. The son made a great impression on him; butat times disquiet touching his own future authority seemed to seizehim. Those were the days of great parental power, which grew toboundless preponderance afterward; but this son was that partisan, thatsoldier from the wild stanitsas, who, as Pan Novoveski understood atonce, was riding on his own special horse. Pan Novoveski guarded hisparental authority jealously. He was certain, however, that his sonwould always respect him, would give him his due; but would he yieldalways like wax, would he endure everything as he had endured when astripling? "Bah!" thought the old man, "if I make up my mind to it,I'll treat him like a stripling. He is daring, a
lieutenant; he imposeson me, as I love God." To finish all, Pan Novoveski felt that hisfatherly affection was growing each minute, and that he would have aweakness for that giant of a son.

  Meanwhile Eva was twittering like a bird, overwhelming her brother withquestions. "When would he come home; and wouldn't he settle down,wouldn't he marry?" She in truth does not know clearly, and is notcertain; but as she loves her father, she has heard that soldiers aregiven to falling in love. But now she remembers that it was PaulVolodyovski who said so. How beautiful and kind she is, that PaniVolodyovski! A more beautiful and better is not to be found in allPoland with a candle. Zosia Boski alone might, perhaps, be comparedwith her.

  "Who is Zosia Boski?" asked Pan Adam.

  "She who with her mother is stopping here, whose father was carried offby the Tartars. If you see her yourself you will fall in love withher."

  "Give us Zosia Boski!" cried the young officer.

  The father and Eva laughed at such readiness.

  "Love is like death," said Pan Adam: "it misses no one. I was stillsmooth-faced, and Pani Volodyovski was a young lady, when I fellterribly in love with her. Oi! dear God! how I loved that Basia! Butwhat of it! 'I will tell her so,' thought I. I told her, and the answerwas as if some one had given me a slap in the face. Shu, cat away fromthe milk! She was in love with Pan Volodyovski, it seems, already; butwhat is the use in talking?--she was right."

  "Why?" asked old Pan Novoveski.

  "Why? This is why: because I, without boasting, could meet every oneelse with the sabre; but he would not amuse himself with me while youcould say 'Our Father' twice. And besides he is a partisan beyondcompare, before whom Rushchyts himself would take off his cap. What,Pan Rushchyts? Even the Tartars love him. He is the greatest soldier inthe Commonwealth."

  "And how he and his wife love each other! Ai, ai! enough to make youreyes ache to look at them," put in Eva.

  "Ai, your mouth waters! Your mouth waters, for your time has come too,"exclaimed Pan Adam. And putting his hands on his hips he began to nodhis head, as a horse does; but she answered modestly,--

  "I have no thought of it."

  "Well, there is no lack of officers and pleasant company here."

  "But," said Eva, "I do not know whether father has told you that Azyais here."

  "Azya Mellehovich, the Lithuanian Tartar? I know him; he is a goodsoldier."

  "But you do not know," said old Pan Novoveski, "that he is notMellehovich, but that Azya who grew up with you."

  "In God's name, what do I hear? Just think! Sometimes that came to myhead too; but they told me that his name was Mellehovich, therefore Ithought, 'Well, he is not the man,' Azya with the Tartars is auniversal name. I had not seen him for so many years that I was notcertain. Our Azya was rather ugly and short, and this one is a beauty."

  "He is ours, ours!" said old Novoveski, "or rather not ours, for do youknow what has come out, whose son he is?"

  "How should I know?"

  "He is the son of the great Tugai Bey."

  The young man struck his powerful palms on his knees till the sound washeard through the house.

  "I cannot believe my ears! Of the great Tugai Bey? If that is true, heis a prince and a relative of the Khan. There is no higher blood in theCrimea than Tugai Bey's."

  "It is the blood of an enemy!"

  "It was that in the father, but the son serves us; I have seen himmyself twenty times in action. Ha! I understand now whence comes thatdevilish daring in him. Pan Sobieski distinguished him before the wholearmy, and made him a captain. I am glad from my soul to greet him,--astrong soldier; from my whole heart I will greet him."

  "But be not too familiar with him."

  "Why? Is he my servant, or ours? I am a soldier, he is a soldier; I aman officer, he is an officer. If he were some fellow of the infantrywho commands his regiment with a reed, I shouldn't have a word to say;but if he is the son of Tugai Bey, then no common blood flows in him.He is a prince, and that is the end of it; the hetman himself willprovide naturalization for him. How should I thrust my nose above him,when I am in brotherhood with Kulak Murza, with Bakchy Aga and Sukyman?None of these would be ashamed to herd sheep for Tugai Bey."

  Eva felt a sudden wish to kiss her brother again; then she sat so nearhim that she began to stroke his bushy forelock with her shapely hand.

  The entrance of Pan Michael interrupted this tenderness.

  Pan Adam sprang up to greet the commanding officer, and began at onceto explain that he had not paid his respects first of all to thecommandant, because he had not come on service, but as a privateperson. Pan Michael embraced him cordially and said,--

  "And who would blame you, dear comrade, if after so many years ofabsence you fell at your father's knees first of all? It would besomething different were it a question of service; but have you nocommission from Pan Rushchyts?"

  "Only obeisances. Pan Rushchyts went down to Yagorlik, for theyinformed him that there were multitudes of horse-tracks on the snow. Mycommandant received your letter and sent it to the horde to hisrelatives and brothers, instructing them to search and make inquiriesthere; but he will not write himself. 'My hand is too heavy,' he says,'and I have no experience in that art.'"

  "He does not like writing, I know," said Pan Michael. "The sabre withhim is always the basis." Here the mustaches of the little knightquivered, and he added, not without a certain boastfulness, "And stillyou were chasing Azba Bey two months for nothing."

  "But your grace gulped him as a pike does a whiting," cried Pan Adam,with enthusiasm. "Well, God must have disturbed his mind, that when hehad escaped from Pan Rushchyts, he came under your hand. He caught it!"

  These words tickled the little knight agreeably, and wishing to returnpoliteness for politeness, he turned to Pan Novoveski and said,--

  "The Lord Jesus has not given me a son so far; but if ever He does, Ishould wish him to be like this cavalier."

  "There is nothing in him!" answered the old noble,--"nothing, and thatis the end of it."

  But in spite of these words he began to puff from delight.

  "Here is another great treat for me!"

  Meanwhile the little knight stroked Eva's face, and said to her: "Yousee that I am no stripling; but my Basia is almost of your age;therefore I am thinking that at times she should have some pleasantamusement, proper for youthful years. It is true that all here love herbeyond description, and you, I trust, see some reason for it."

  "Beloved God!" said Eva, "there is not in the world another such woman!I have said that just now."

  The little knight was rejoiced beyond measure, so that his face shone,and he asked, "Did you say that really?"

  "As I live she did!" cried father and son together.

  "Well, then, array yourself in the best, for, without Basia'sknowledge, I have brought an orchestra from Kamenyets. I ordered themen to hide the instruments in straw, and I told her that they wereGypsies who had come to shoe horses. This evening I'll have tremendousdancing. She loves it, she loves it, though she likes to play thedignified matron."

  When he had said this. Pan Michael began to rub his hands, and wasgreatly pleased with himself.