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

by Henryk Sienkiewicz

  CHAPTER LVI.

  The horned, daring soul in truth was unwilling to go out of its bodilyenclosure, and did not go out. In a month after his return to LyubichPan Andrei's wounds began to heal; but still earlier he regainedconsciousness, and looking around the room, he saw at once where hewas. Then he called the faithful Soroka.

  "Soroka," said he, "the mercy of God is upon me. I feel that I shallnot die."

  "According to order!" answered the old soldier, brushing away a tearwith his fist.

  And Kmita continued as if to himself: "The penance is over,--I see thatclearly. The mercy of God is upon me!"

  Then he was silent for a moment; only his lips were moving in prayer.

  "Soroka!" said he again, after a time.

  "At the service of your grace!"

  "Who are in Vodokty?"

  "The lady and the sword-bearer of Rossyeni."

  "Praised be the name of the Lord! Did any one come here to inquireabout me?"

  "They sent from Vodokty until we told them that you would be well."

  "And did they stop then?"

  "Then they stopped."

  "They know nothing yet, but they shall know from me," said Kmita. "Didyou tell no one that I fought as Babinich?"

  "There was no order," answered the soldier.

  "And the Lauda men with Pan Volodyovski have not come home yet?"

  "Not yet; but they may come any day."

  With this the conversation of the first day was at an end. Two weekslater Kmita had risen and was walking on crutches; the following weekhe insisted on going to church.

  "We will go to Upita," said he to Soroka; "for it is needful to beginwith God, and after Mass we will go to Vodokty."

  Soroka did not dare to oppose; therefore he merely ordered straw to beplaced in the wagon. Pan Andrei arrayed himself in holiday costume, andthey drove away.

  They arrived at an hour when there were few people yet in the church.Pan Andrei, leaning on Soroka's arm, went to the high altar itself, andknelt in the collator's seat; his face was very thin, emaciated, andbesides he wore a long beard which had grown during the war and hissickness. Whoever looked at him thought that he was some passingpersonage who had come in to Mass; for there was movement everywhere,the country was full of passing nobles who were going from the field totheir own estates.

  The church filled slowly with people and with neighboring nobles; thenowners of inherited land from a distance began to arrive, for in manyplaces churches had been burned, and it was necessary to come to Massas far as Upita.

  Kmita, sunk in prayer, saw no one. He was roused first from his piousmeditation by the squeaking of footstools under the tread of personsentering the pew. Then he raised his head, looked, and saw right thereabove him the sweet, sad face of Olenka.

  She also saw him, and recognized him that moment; for she drew backsuddenly, as if frightened. First a flush, and then a deathly pallorcame out on her face; but with the greatest exercise of will sheovercame her emotion, and knelt there near him; the third place wasoccupied by the sword-bearer.

  And Kmita and she bowed their heads, and rested their faces on theirhands; they knelt there in silence side by side, and their hearts beatso that both heard them perfectly. At last Pan Andrei spoke,--

  "May Jesus Christ be praised!"

  "For the ages of ages," answered Olenka, in an undertone. And they saidno more. Now the priest came out to preach. Kmita listened to him; butin spite of his efforts he could not distinguish the words, he couldnot understand the preacher. Here she is, the desired one, for whom hehad yearned during years, who had not left his mind nor his heart; shewas here now at his side. He felt her near; and he dared not turn hiseyes to her, for he was in the church, but closing his lids, he caughther breathing with his ear.

  "Olenka! Olenka is near me!" said he to himself, "see, God hascommanded us to meet in the church after absence." Then his thoughtsand his heart repeated without ceasing: "Olenka, Olenka, Olenka!"

  And at moments a weeping joy caught him by the throat, and again he wascarried away by such an enthusiasm of thankful prayer that he lostconsciousness of what was happening to him.

  She knelt continually, with her face hidden in her hands.

  The priest had finished the sermon, and descended from the pulpit.

  All at once a clatter of arms was heard in front of the church, and atramp of horses' hoofs. Some one cried before the threshold of thechurch, "Lauda returning!" and suddenly in the sanctuary itself wereheard murmurs, then a bustle, then a still louder calling,--

  "Lauda! Lauda!"

  The crowd began to sway; all heads were turned at once toward the door.

  With that there was a throng in the door, and a body of armed menappeared in the church. At the head of them marched with a clatter ofspurs Volodyovski and Zagloba. The crowd opened before them; theypassed through the whole church, knelt before the altar, prayed a shorttime, and then entered the vestry.

  The Lauda men halted half-way, not greeting any one, out of respect forthe place.

  Ah, what a sight! Grim faces, swarthy from winds, grown thin from toilsof war, cut with sabres of Swedes, Germans, Hungarians, andWallachians! The whole history of the war and the glory of God-fearingLauda was written on them with swords. There were the gloomy Butryms,the Stakyans, the Domasheviches, the Gostsyeviches, a few of all; buthardly one fourth returned of those who on a time had left Lauda.

  Many women are seeking in vain for their husbands, many old men aresearching in vain for their sons; therefore the weeping increases, forthose too who find their own are weeping from joy. The whole church isfilled with sobbing. From time to time some one cries out a belovedname, and is silent; and they stand in glory, leaning on their sabres,but over their deep scars tears too are falling on their mustaches.

  Now a bell, rung at the door of the vestry, quieted the weeping and themurmur. All knelt; the priest came to finish Mass, and after himVolodyovski and Zagloba.

  But the priest was so moved that when he turned to the people, saying,"_Dominus vobiscum!_" his voice trembled. When he came to the Gospel,and all the sabres were drawn at once from the scabbards, as a signthat Lauda was ever ready to defend the faith, and in the church it wasbright from steel, the priest had barely strength to finish the Gospel.

  Then amid universal emotion the concluding prayer was sung, and Masswas ended; but the priest, when he had placed the sacrament in thetabernacle, turned, after the last Gospel, to the people, in sign thathe wished to say something.

  There was silence, therefore, and the priest with cordial words greetedfirst the returning soldiers; then he gave notice that he would read aletter from the king, brought by the colonel of the Lauda squadron.

  The silence grew deeper, and after a while the voice from the altar washeard through the whole church,--

  "We, Yan Kazimir, King of Poland, Grand Duke of Lithuania, Mazovia,Prussia, etc., etc., etc. In the name of the Father, Son, and HolyGhost, Amen!

  "Since wicked people must receive punishment in this temporal life fortheir crimes against king and country before they stand in presence ofthe heavenly tribunal, it is equally just that virtue receive a reward,which should add the lustre of glory to virtue itself, and giveposterity the desire to follow its examples.

  "Therefore we make it known to the whole order of knighthood, namely,to men of arms and civilians having office, together with all theinhabitants of the Grand Principality of Lithuania and our Starostashipof Jmud, that whatever accusations have rested on Pan Andrei Kmita, thebanneret of Orsha, who is greatly beloved by us, are to vanish from thememory of men, in view of the following services and merit, and are todetract in nowise from the honor and glory of the said banneret ofOrsha."

  Here the priest ceased to read, and looked toward the bench on whichPan Andrei was sitting. Kmita rose for a moment, and sitting downagain, rested his haggard head on the railing and closed his lids, asif in a faint.

  But all eyes were turned to him; all
lips began to whisper,--

  "Pan Kmita! Kmita! There, near the Billeviches."

  But the priest beckoned, and began to read on amid deep silence,--

  "Which banneret of Orsha, though in the beginning of this unfortunateSwedish invasion he declared himself on the side of the prince voevoda,did it not from any selfishness, but from the purest good-will to thecountry, brought to this error by Prince Yanush Radzivill, whopersuaded him that no road of safety remained to the Commonwealth savethat which the prince himself took.

  "But when he visited Prince Boguslav, who, thinking him a traitor,discovered to him clearly all the hostile intrigues against thecountry, the said banneret of Orsha not only did not promise to raisehis hand against our person, but with armed force carried away PrinceBoguslav himself, so as to avenge us and the suffering country."

  "O God, be merciful to me, a sinner!" cried the voice of a woman rightthere near Pan Andrei; and in the church there broke out anew a murmurof amazement.

  The priest read on,--

  "He was shot by Boguslav, but had barely recovered when he went toChenstohova, and there defended with his own breast that most sacredRetreat, giving an example of endurance and valor to all; there, indanger of his life and health, he blew up with powder the greatestsiege-gun. Seized after that daring deed, he was condemned to death bycruel enemies, and tortured with living fire."

  With this the weeping of women was heard here and there through thechurch. Olenka was trembling as in a paroxysm of fever.

  "But rescued by the power of the Queen of the Angels from thoseterrible straits, he came to us in Silesia, and on our return to thisdear country, when the treacherous enemy prepared an ambush for us, thesaid banneret of Orsha rushed himself, with his three attendants, onthe whole power of the enemy, to save our person. There, cut down andthrust through with rapiers, swimming in his own blood, he was bornefrom the field as if lifeless--"

  Olenka placed both her hands on her temples, and raising her head,began to catch the air into her parted lips. From her bosom came outthe groan,--

  "O God! O God! O God!"

  And again the voice of the priest sounded, also more and more moved:--

  "And when with our endeavors he returned to health, he did not rest,but continued the war, standing forth with immeasurable praise in everynecessity, held up as a model to knighthood by the hetmans of bothpeople, till the fortunate capture of Warsaw, after which he was sentto Prussia under the assumed name of Babinich--"

  When that name was heard in the church, the noise of the people changedas it were into the roar of a river.

  "Then he is Babinich? Then he is that crusher of the Swedes, the saviorof Volmontovichi, the victor in so many battles,--that is Kmita?"

  The murmur increased still more; throngs began to push toward the altarto see him more closely.

  "God bless him! God bless him!" said hundreds of voices.

  The priest turned to the seat and blessed Pan Andrei, who, leaningcontinually against the railing, was more like a dead than a livingman, for the soul had gone out of him with happiness and had risentoward the sky.

  The priest read on,--

  "He visited the enemy's country with fire and sword, was the main causeof the victory at Prostki; with his own hand he overthrew and capturedPrince Boguslav. Called late to our starostaship of Jmud, what immenseservice he rendered there, how many towns and villages he saved fromthe hands of the enemy, must be known to the inhabitants of thatstarostaship better than to others."

  "It is known, it is known, it is known!" was thundered through thewhole church.

  "Silence!" said the priest, raising the king's letter.

  "Therefore we, considering all his services to us and the country, somany that a son could not have done more for his father and his mother,have determined to publish them in this our letter, so that so great acavalier, so great a defender of the faith, of king and Commonwealth,should no longer be pursued by the ill-will of men, but go clothed withthe praise and universal love proper to the virtuous. Before then thenext Diet, confirming these our wishes, shall remove from him everystain, and before we shall reward him with the starostaship of Upita,which is vacant, we ask earnestly of the inhabitants dear to us of ourstarostaship of Jmud to retain in their hearts and thoughts these ourwords, which justice itself, the foundation of States, has commanded usto put into their memory."

  Here the priest concluded, and turning to the altar began to pray; butPan Andrei felt on a sudden that a soft hand was seizing his hand. Helooked. It was Olenka; and before he had time to come to himself, towithdraw his hand, she had raised it and pressed it to her lips inpresence of all, before the altar and the people.

  "Olenka!" cried the astonished Kmita.

  But she had arisen, and covering her face with a veil, said to oldBillevich,--

  "Uncle, let us go, let us go from here quickly!"

  And they went out through the door of the vestry.

  Pan Andrei tried to rise to follow her, but he could not. His strengthleft him entirely.

  But a quarter of an hour later he was in front of the church, supportedon one side by Pan Volodyovski, on the other by Zagloba.

  The throng of people, small nobles and common men, crowded around.Women, some barely able to tear away from the breast of a husbandreturned from the war, led by curiosity special to the sex, ran to lookat that Kmita, once terrible, now the savior of Lauda and the comingstarosta. The throng became greater every instant, till the Lauda menhad at last to surround him and protect him from the crush.

  "Pan Andrei!" cried Zagloba, "see, we have brought you a present. Youdid not expect such a one. Now to Vodokty, to Vodokty, to the betrothaland the wedding!"

  Further words of Zagloba were lost in the thundering shout raised atonce by the Lauda men, under the leadership of Yuzva Footless,--

  "Long life to Pan Kmita!"

  "Long life!" repeated the crowd. "Long life to our starosta of Upita!Long life!"

  "All to Vodokty!" roared Zagloba, again.

  "To Vodokty! to Vodokty!" shouted a thousand throats. "As best men toVodokty with Pan Kmita, with our savior! To the lady! to Vodokty!"

  And an immense movement began. Lauda mounted its horses; every manliving rushed to wagons, carts, ponies. People on foot began to runacross field and forest. The shout "To Vodokty!" rang through the wholeplace. The roads were thronged with many-colored crowds.

  Kmita rode in his little wagon between Volodyovski and Zagloba, andtime after time he embraced one or the other of them. He was not ableto speak yet, he was too much excited; but they pushed on as if Tartarswere attacking Upita. All the wagons and carts rushed in like manneraround them.

  They were well outside the place, when Pan Michael suddenly bent toKmita's ear. "Yendrek," asked he, "but do you not know where the otheris?"

  "In Vodokty."

  Then, whether it was the wind or excitement that began to move themustaches of Pan Michael, is unknown; it is enough that during thewhole way they did not cease to thrust forward like two awls, or likethe feelers of a Maybug.

  Zagloba was singing with delight in such a terrible bass voice that hefrightened the horses,--

  "There were two of us, Kasyenko, two in this world; But methinks, somehow, that three are now riding."

  Anusia was not at church that Sunday, for she had in her turn to staywith the weakly Panna Kulvyets, with whom she and Olenka remained onalternate days.

  The whole morning she had been occupied with watching and taking careof the sick woman, so that it was late when she could go to herprayers. Barely had she said the last "Amen," when there was athundering before the gate, and Olenka rushed into the room like astorm.

  "Jesus! Mary! What has happened?" screamed Anusia, looking at her.

  "Anusia, you do not know who Pan Babinich is? He is Pan Kmita!"

  Anusia sprang to her feet: "Who told you?"

  "The king's letter was read--Pan Volodyovski brought it--the Laudamen--"

  "Ha
s Pan Volodyovski returned?" screamed Anusia; and she threw herselfinto Olenka's arms.

  Olenka took this outburst of feeling as a proof of Anusia's love forher; for she had become feverish, was almost unconscious. On her facewere fiery spots, and her breast rose and fell as if from great pain.

  Then Olenka began to tell without order and in a broken voiceeverything which she had heard in the church, running at the same timethrough the room as if demented, repeating every moment, "I am notworthy of him!" reproaching herself terribly, saying that she had donehim more injustice than all others, that she had not even been willingto pray for him, when he was swimming in his own blood in defence ofthe Holy Lady, the country, and the king.

  In vain did Anusia, while running after her through the room, endeavorto comfort her. She repeated continually one thing,--that she was notworthy of him, that she would not dare to look in his eyes; then againshe would begin to speak of the deeds of Babinich, of the seizure ofBoguslav, of his revenge, of saving the king, of Prostki,Volmontovichi, and Chenstohova; and at last of her own faults, of herstubbornness, for which she must do penance in the cloister.

  Further reproaches were interrupted by Pan Tomash, who, falling intothe room like a bomb, cried,--

  "In God's name, all Upita is rolling after us! They are already in thevillage, and Babinich is surely with them!"

  Indeed, a distant shout at that moment announced the approach of thecrowds. The sword-bearer, seizing Olenka, conducted her to the porch;Anusia rushed after them.

  At that moment the throng of men and horses looked black in thedistance; and as far as the eye could reach the whole road was packedwith them. At last they reached the yard. Those on foot were stormingover ditches and fences; the wagons rolled in through the gates, andall were shouting and throwing up their caps.

  At last appeared the crowd of armed Lauda men, and the wagon, in whichsat three persons,--Kmita, Volodyovski, and Zagloba.

  The wagon stopped at some distance, for so many people had crowded upbefore the entrance that it was impossible to approach. Zagloba andVolodyovski sprang out first, and helping Kmita to descend, took him atonce by the arms.

  "Give room!" cried Zagloba.

  "Give room!" repeated the Lauda men.

  The people pushed back at once, so that in the middle of the crowdthere was an open road along which the two knights led Kmita to theporch. He was very pale, but walked with head erect, at once confusedand happy.

  Olenka leaned against the door-post, and dropped her arms withoutcontrol at her sides; but when he was near she looked into the face ofthe emaciated man,--who after such a time of separation approached,like Lazarus, without a drop of blood in his face,--then sobbing, renther breast again. He, from weeping, from happiness, and from confusion,did not know himself what to say,--

  "What, Olenka, what?"

  But she dropped suddenly to his knees,--

  "Yendrek!" cried she, "I am not worthy to kiss thy wounds!"

  At that moment strength came back to the knight; he seized her from theground like a feather, and pressed her to his bosom.

  One immense shout, from which the walls of the house trembled and thelast of the leaves fell from the trees, dinned every ear. The Lauda menbegan to fire from pistols; caps flew into the air; around nothing wasto be seen but faces carried away by joy, gleaming eyes, and openmouths shouting,--

  "Vivat Kmita! vivat Panna Billevich! vivat the young couple!"

  "Vivat two couples!" roared Zagloba; but his voice was lost in thegeneral storm.

  Vodokty was turned as it were into a camp. All day they wereslaughtering oxen and sheep at command of the sword-bearer, and diggingout of the ground barrels of mead and beer. In the evening all sat downto a feast,--the oldest and most noted in the rooms, the younger in theservants' hall; the simple people rejoiced equally at fires in theyard.

  At the chief table the cup went around in honor of two happy pairs; butwhen good feeling had reached the highest degree, Zagloba raised thefollowing toast:--

  "To thee I return, worthy Pan Andrei, and to thee old friend, PanMichael! It was not enough to expose your breasts, to shed blood, tocut down the enemy! Your work is not finished; for since a multitude ofpeople have fallen in time of this terrible war, you must now give newinhabitants, new defenders to this Commonwealth. For this I think youwill not lack either in manhood or good will. Worthy gentlemen! to thehonor of those coming generations! May God bless them, and permit themto guard this legacy which we leave them, restored by our toil, by oursweat, by our blood. When grievous times come, let them remember us andnever despair, considering that there are no straits out of which it isimpossible to rise, with united forces and the help of God."

  Pan Andrei not long after his marriage served in a new war which brokeout on the eastern side of the Commonwealth; but the thundering victoryof Charnyetski and Sapyeha over Hovanski and Dolgoruki, and the hetmansof the kingdom over Sheremetyeff, soon brought it to an end. Then Kmitareturned, covered with fresh glory, and settled down permanently inVodokty. After him his cousin Yakub became banneret of Orsha,--Yakub,who afterward belonged to the unfortunate confederation of the army;but Pan Andrei, standing soul and heart with the king, rewarded withthe starostaship of Upita, lived long in exemplary harmony and lovewith Lauda, surrounded by universal respect. His ill-wishers--for whohas them not?--said, it is true, that he listened over-much to his wifein everything. He was not ashamed of that, however, but acknowledgedhimself that in every important affair he sought her advice.