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

by Henryk Sienkiewicz

  CHAPTER XXXIX.

  A bloody storm followed from the side of the Novy Svyat against theCracow suburbs, not over-successful, but in so far effective that itturned the attention of the Swedes from the intrenchment defended byKmita, and permitted the garrison enclosed in it to rest somewhat. ThePoles pushed forward however, to the Kazimirovski Palace, but theycould not hold that point.

  On the other side they stormed up to the Danillovich Palace and toDantzig House, equally without result. A number of hundreds of peoplefell again. The king, however, had this consolation: he saw that eventhe general militia rushed to the walls with the greatest daring anddevotion, and that after those attempts, more or less unsuccessful,their courage not only had not fallen, but on the contrary assurance ofvictory was growing strong in the army.

  The most fortunate event of the day was the arrival of Pan Yan Zamoyskiand Pan Charnyetski. The first brought very excellent infantry and gunsfrom Zamost, so heavy that the Swedes had nothing like them in Warsaw.The second, in agreement with Sapyeha, having besieged Douglas, andwith some Lithuanian troops and the general militia of Podlyasye, undercommand of Pan Yan, had come to Warsaw to take part in the generalstorm. It was hoped by Charnyetski as well as others that this would bethe last storm.

  Zamoyski's heavy guns were placed in the position taken by Kmita; theybegan work immediately against the walls and the gate, and forced theSwedish howitzers to silence at once. General Grodzitski himselfoccupied the "molehill," and Kmita returned to his Tartars.

  But he had not reached his quarters when he was summoned to Uyazdov.The king in presence of the whole staff applauded the young knight;neither Charnyetski, Sapyeha, Lyubomirski, nor the hetmans sparedpraises on him. He stood there in torn garments covered with earth, hisface entirely discolored with powder smoke; without sleep, soiled, butjoyous because he had held the place, had won so much praise, andgained immeasurable glory in both armies. Among other cavaliers PanMichael and Pan Yan congratulated him.

  "You do not know indeed, Pan Andrei," said the little knight, "whatgreat weight you have with the king. I was at the council of waryesterday, for Pan Charnyetski took me with him. They talked of thestorm, and then of the news which had just come in from Lithuania, thewar there, and the cruelties which Pontus de la Gardie and the Swedespermit. They were considering at the council how to strengthenresistance. Sapyeha said it was best to send thither a couple ofsquadrons and a man who could be there what Charnyetski was at thebeginning of the war in Poland. To which the king answered: 'There isonly one such man, Babinich.' The others confirmed this at once."

  "I would go most willingly to Lithuania, and especially to Jmud,"answered Kmita. "I resolved to ask of the king myself permission to go,but I am waiting till Warsaw is taken."

  "There will be a general storm to-morrow," said Zagloba.

  "I know, but how is Kettling?"

  "Who is that? Hassling?"

  "All one, for he has two names, as is the custom among the English, theScots, and many other nations."

  "True," answered Zagloba, "and a Spaniard every day of the week has anew name for himself. Your servant told me that Hassling, or Kettling,is well; he has begun to talk, walks, the fever has left him, he callsfor food every hour."

  "Have you been with him?" asked Kmita of Pan Michael.

  "I have not, for I have had no time. Who has a head for anything butthe storm?"

  "Then let us go now."

  "Go to sleep first," said Zagloba.

  "True! true! I am barely standing on my feet."

  So when he came to his own quarters Pan Andrei followed Zagloba'sadvice, especially as he found Hassling asleep. But Zagloba andVolodyovski came to see him in the evening; they sat down in the broadsummer-house which the Tartars had made for their "bagadyr." TheKyemliches poured out for them mead a hundred years old, which the kinghad sent to Kmita; and they drank it willingly, for the air was hotoutside. Hassling, pale and emaciated, seemed to draw life and strengthfrom the precious liquid. Zagloba clicked with his tongue, and wipedperspiration from his forehead.

  "Hei! how the great guns are thundering!" said the young Scot,listening. "To-morrow you will go to the storm--it is well!--for thehealthy--God give you blessing! I am of foreign blood, and serve himwhom it was my duty to serve, but you have my best wishes. Ah, whatmead this is! Life enters me."

  Thus speaking, he threw back his golden hair and raised his blue eyestoward heaven; he had a wonderful face, half childlike as yet. Zaglobalooked at him with a certain emotion.

  "You speak Polish as well as any of us," said he. "Become a Pole, lovethis our country, and you will do an honorable deed, and mead will notbe lacking to you. It is not difficult for a soldier to receivenaturalization with us."

  "All the more easy since I am a noble," answered Hassling. "My name isHassling-Kettling of Elgin. My family come from England, though settledin Scotland."

  "Those countries beyond the sea are far away, and somehow it is moredecent for a man to live here," said Zagloba.

  "It is pleasant for me here."

  "But unpleasant for us," said Kmita, who from the beginning wastwisting impatiently on the bench, "for we are anxious to hear what isgoing on in Taurogi; but you are talking genealogies."

  "Ask me; I will answer."

  "Have you seen Panna Billevich often?"

  Over the pale face of Hassling blushes passed. "Every day!" said he.

  Kmita looked at him quickly. "Were you such a confidant? Why do youblush? Every day,--how every day?"

  "For she knew that I wished her well, and I rendered her some services.That will appear from the further narrative, but now it is necessary tocommence at the beginning. You, gentlemen, know, perhaps, that I wasnot at Kyedani when Prince Boguslav came and took that lady to Taurogi?Therefore I will not repeat why that happened, for different peoplegave different accounts. I will only say that they had scarcely arrivedwhen all saw at once that the prince was terribly in love--"

  "God punish him!" cried Kmita.

  "Amusements followed, such as had not been before,--tilting at the ringand tournaments. Any one would have thought it a time of the greatestpeace; but letters were coming in every day, as well as envoys from theelector and from Prince Yanush. We knew that Prince Yanush was pushedby Sapyeha and the confederates; he implored for rescue by the mercy ofGod, for destruction was threatening him. We did nothing. On theelector's boundary troops were standing ready, captains were comingwith letters; but we did not go with assistance, for the prince had nosuccess with the lady."

  "Is that why Boguslav did not give aid to his cousin?" asked Zagloba.

  "It is. Patterson said the same, and all the persons nearest theprince. Some complained of this; others were glad that the Radzivillswere falling. Sakovich conducted all public business for the prince,answered letters, and held council with the envoys; but the prince waslaboring on one idea only, to contrive some kind of amusement, either acavalcade or hunt. He, a miser, scattered money on every side. He gaveorders to fell forests for whole miles, so that the lady might have abetter view from her windows; in a word, he really scattered flowersunder her feet, and received her in such fashion that had she beenQueen of Sweden he could have invented nothing better. Many pitied herand said, 'All this is for her ruin; as to marrying, the prince willnot marry, and if he can only catch her heart he will deceive her.' Butit appeared that she was not a lady to be conducted whither virtue doesnot go. Oh!"

  "Well, what?" cried Kmita, springing up. "I know that better thanothers!"

  "How did Panna Billevich receive these royal homages?" asked PanMichael.

  "At first with affable face, though it was evident that she was bearingsome sorrow in her heart. She was present at the hunts, at themasquerades, cavalcades, and tournaments, thinking indeed that thesewere usual court amusements with the prince. It happened on a time thatthe prince, straining his imagination over various spectacles, wishedto show the lady the counterfeit of war; he had a settlement burned
near Taurogi, infantry defended it, the prince stormed the place.Evidently he gained a great victory, after which, being sated withpraise, he fell at the lady's feet and begged for a return of his love.It is not known what he proposed to her, but from that time theirfriendship was at an end. She began to hold night and day to the sleeveof her uncle, the sword-bearer of Rossyeni; but the prince--"

  "Began to threaten her, did he?" cried Kmita.

  "What, threaten! He dressed himself as a Greek shepherd, as Philemon;special couriers were flying to Koenigsberg for patterns of shepherd'sgarments, for ribbons and wigs. He feigned despair, he walked under herwindows, and played on a lute. And here I tell you, gentlemen, what Ireally think. He was a savage executioner of the virtue of ladies, andit may be boldly said of him, as is said in our country of such people,his sighs filled out the sails of more than one lady; but this time hefell in love in earnest,--which is no wonder, for the lady reminds onemore of a goddess than a dweller in this earthly vale."

  Here Hassling blushed again, but Pan Andrei did not see it; for seizinghis sides with satisfaction and pride, he looked with a triumphantglance at Zagloba and Volodyovski.

  "We know her, a perfect Diana; she needs only the moon in her hair!"said the little knight.

  "What, Diana! Diana's dogs would howl at Diana if they could see PannaBillevich."

  "Therefore I said it is 'no wonder,'" answered Hassling.

  "Well! But for that 'no wonder' I would burn him with a slow fire; forthat 'no wonder' I would have him shod with hob-nails--"

  "Give us peace!" interrupted Zagloba. "Get him first, then play pranks;but now let this cavalier speak."

  "More than once I was on watch before the room in which he slept,"continued Hassling. "I know how he turned on his bed, sighed, talked tohimself, and hissed, as if from pain; evidently desires were burninghim. He changed terribly, dried up. It may be, too, that the illnessunder which he afterward fell was diving into him. Meanwhile news flewthrough the whole court that the prince had become so distracted thathe wanted to marry. This came to Yanush's princess, who with herdaughter was living at Taurogi. Then began anger and disputes; for, asyou know, Boguslav, according to agreement, is to marry Yanush'sdaughter when she comes of age. But he forgot everything, so piercedwas his heart. Yanush's princess, falling into a rage, went with herdaughter to Courland. That same evening he made a proposal to PannaBillevich."

  "Did he make proposals?" cried Zagloba, Kmita, and Pan Michael, withastonishment.

  "He did. First to the sword-bearer of Rossyeni, who was no lessastonished than you, and would not believe his own ears; but convincedat last he was barely able to control himself from delight, for it wasno small splendor for the house of Billevich to be united with theRadzivills. It is true, as Patterson said, that there is someconnection already, but it is old and forgotten."

  "Tell on!" said Kmita, trembling from impatience.

  "Both went to the lady with all ostentation, as is the custom on suchoccasions. The whole court was trembling. Evil tidings came from PrinceYanush. Sakovich alone read them, but no one paid attention to them,nor even to Sakovich, for he had fallen out of favor because he hadproposed the marriage. But among us some said that it was no noveltyfor the Radzivills to marry ordinary noble women; that in theCommonwealth all nobles were equal, and that the house of Billevichwent back to Roman times. And this was said by those who wished to gainfor themselves the favor of the coming princess. Others asserted thatthis was a stratagem of the prince to come to great intimacy with thelady, which happens not infrequently between persons betrothed."

  "That was it! Nothing else," said Zagloba.

  "And so I think," said Hassling; "but listen further. When we weredeliberating in the court among ourselves in this fashion, the reportwent out like a thunderbolt that the lady had cut all doubt as with asabre, for she refused him directly."

  "God bless her!" cried Kmita.

  "She refused him directly," continued Hassling. "It was enough to lookat the prince to know that. He, to whom princesses yielded, could notendure resistance, and almost went mad. It was dangerous to appearbefore him. We all saw that it would not remain long thus, and that theprince would use force sooner or later. In fact, the sword-bearer ofRossyeni was carried off the next day to Tyltsa, beyond the elector'sboundary. That day the lady implored the officer keeping guard beforeher door to give her a loaded pistol. The officer did not refuse that,for being a noble and man of honor he felt compassion for the lady andhomage for her beauty and resolution."

  "Who was that officer?" asked Kmita.

  "I," answered Hassling, dryly.

  Pan Andrei seized him by the shoulders, so that the young Scot, beingweak, called out from pain.

  "That is nothing!" cried Kmita. "You are not a prisoner; you are mybrother, my friend! Tell me what you wish! In God's name, tell me whatyou wish!"

  "To rest awhile," answered Hassling, breathing heavily; and he wassilent. He merely pressed the hands which Pan Michael and Zagloba gavehim. At last, seeing that all were burning with curiosity, hecontinued,--

  "I forewarned her too of what all knew, that the prince's physician waspreparing some intoxicating drug. Meanwhile fears turned out to begroundless, for God interfered in the affair. He touched the princewith his finger, threw him on a bed of sickness, and kept him there amonth. It is a marvel, gentlemen, but it happened as if he had been cutfrom his feet, as with a scythe, that same day, when he intended toattack the virtue of this lady. The hand of God, I say, nothing else!He thought that himself, and was afraid; may be too that during hissickness the desire left him, may be he was waiting to regain hisstrength; it is enough, that when he came to himself he left her inpeace, and even permitted the sword-bearer to come from Tyltsa. It istrue, also, that the sickness which confined him to his bed left him,but not the fever, which is, I believe, crushing him to this day. It istrue, also, that soon after he left the bed he had to go on theexpedition to Tykotsin, where defeat met him. He returned with a stillgreater fever; then the elector sent for him. But meanwhile a changetook place at Taurogi, of which it is wonderful and laughable to tell;it is enough that the prince cannot count on the loyalty of any officeror any attendant, unless on very old ones, who neither hear nor seeperfectly, and therefore guard nothing well."

  "What happened?" asked Zagloba.

  "During the Tykotsin campaign, before the defeat at Tanov, theycaptured a certain Panna Anusia Borzobogati, and sent her to Taurogi."

  "There, Grandmother, you have cakes!" exclaimed Zagloba.

  Pan Michael began to blink and move his mustaches; at last he said:"Say nothing bad of her, or when you recover you will have to meet me."

  "Even if I wished I could say nothing bad of that lady. But if she isyour betrothed, I say that you take poor care of her; and if she is arelative, you know her too well to deny what I say. It is enough thatin one week she made all in the company, old and young, in love withher, and only by using her eyes with the addition of some tricks ofwitchcraft, of which I can give no account."

  "She! I should know her in hell by this," muttered Zagloba.

  "It is a wonderful thing!" said Hassling. "Panna Billevich is equal toher in beauty, but has such dignity and unapproachableness that a manwhile admiring and doing homage to her does not dare to raise his eyes,much less to conceive any hope. You know yourselves, gentlemen, thatthere are different kinds of ladies: some are like ancient vestals;others, you have barely seen them and you wish--"

  "Worthy sir!" said Pan Michael, threateningly.

  "Don't make a fool of yourself, Michael, for he tells the truth," saidZagloba. "You go around like a young cockerel and show the whites ofyour eyes; but that she is a coquette we all know, and you have said somore than a hundred times."

  "Let us leave this matter," said Hassling. "I wished simply to explainto you, gentlemen, why only a few were in love with Panna Billevich,those who could really appreciate her unrivalled perfection [here heblushed again], and with Panna Borzobogati nearly all. As
God is dearto me, I had to laugh, for it was just as if some plague had come uponhearts. Disputes and duels increased in the twinkle of an eye. Andabout what? For what? You must know that there was no one who couldboast of the love of the lady; each one believed blindly in this alone,that earlier or later he would have some success--"

  "He has painted her, as it were!" muttered Pan Michael.

  "But these two young ladies became wonderfully fond of each other,"continued Hassling; "one would not move a step without the other, andPanna Borzobogati manages in Taurogi as it pleases her."

  "How is that?" asked the little knight.

  "For she rules everybody. Sakovich did not go on a campaign this time,because he is in love; and Sakovich is absolute master in all thepossessions of Prince Boguslav. And Panna Anusia governs through him."

  "Is he so much in love with her?" asked Pan Michael.

  "He is, and has the greatest confidence in himself, for he is a veryrich man."

  "And his name is Sakovich?"

  "You wish, I see, to remember him well."

  "Certainly!" answered Pan Michael, as it were, carelessly, but at thesame time he moved his mustaches so ominously that a shudder wentthrough Zagloba.

  "I only wish to add," continued Hassling, "that if Panna Borzobogatishould command Sakovich to betray the prince and lighten her escape andthat of her friend, I think he would do it without hesitation; but sofar as I know she wishes to do that without his knowledge, maybe tospite him, who knows? It is enough that an officer, a relative of mine,but not a Catholic, assured me that the departure of the sword-bearerwith the ladies is arranged; officers are involved in the conspiracy,and it is to take place soon."

  Here Hassling began to breathe heavily, for he was weary and was usingthe last of his strength.

  "And this is the most important thing that I had to tell you," addedhe, hurriedly.

  Volodyovski and Kmita seized their heads.

  "Whither are they going to flee?"

  "To the forests and through the forests to Byalovyej."

  Further conversation was interrupted by the entrance of Sapyeha'sorderly, who delivered to Pan Michael and Kmita a quarter of a sheet ofpaper folded in four. Volodyovski had barely unfolded his when hesaid,--

  "The order to occupy positions for to-morrow's work."

  "Do you hear how the cannons are roaring?" asked Zagloba.

  "Well, to-morrow! to-morrow!"

  "Uf! hot!" said Zagloba, "a bad day for a storm,--may the devil takesuch heat! Mother of God! But more than one will grow cold in spite ofthe heat; but not those--not those who commend themselves to Thee, ourPatroness-- But the cannons are thundering! I am too old for storms;the open field is something else."

  Another officer appeared in the door.

  "Is his grace Pan Zagloba here?" asked he.

  "I am here."

  "By the command of our Gracious King, you are to be near his personto-morrow."

  "Ha! he wishes to keep me from the storm, for he knows that the old manwill move first, only let the trumpets sound. He is a kind lord,mindful; I should not like to annoy him; but whether I shall restrainmyself I know not, for when the desire presses me I think of nothing,and roll straight into the smoke. Such is my nature! A kind lord! Doyou hear how the trumpets are sounding for every one to take his place?Well, to-morrow, to-morrow. Saint Peter will have work; he must havehis books ready. In hell too they have put fresh pitch in the kettles,a bath for the Swedes. Uf! uf! to-morrow!"