CHAPTER VIII
But Tachevski's friends did not foresee that the priest's letter wouldbe in a certain sense useful to Pan Gideon, and serve his home policy.He did not indeed receive it without anger. Yatsek, who so far had beenmerely an obstacle, became thenceforth, though not the author of theletter, an object of hatred. That hatred in the stubborn old heart ofPan Gideon bloomed like a poison flower, but his ingenious minddetermined to use the priest's letter. In view of this he restrainedhis fierce rage, his face assumed a look of contemptuous pity, and hewent with the answer to Anulka.
"Thou hast paid toll, and art assaulted for doing so," said he. "I didnot wish this, for I am a man of experience, and I know people; butwhen thou didst clasp thy hands and say that injustice had been done,that I had exceeded in sternness, and thou hadst been too severe tohim, that he ought not to leave us in anger, I yielded. I sent himassistance in money. I sent him a horse. I wrote him a nice letteralso. I thought he would come and bow down, give us thanks, takefarewell as became a man who had spent so much time in this mansion;but see what he has sent me in answer!"
At these words he drew the priest's letter from his girdle and gave itto the young lady. She began to read, and soon her dark brows met inanger, but when she reached the place where the priest declared thatPan Gideon wished to humiliate Yatsek, thanks to the suggestions ofanother, her hands trembled, her face became scarlet, then grew as paleas linen, and remained pale.
Though Pan Gideon saw all this he feigned not to see it.
"May God forgive them for what they attribute to me," said he, after amoment of silence. "He alone knows whether my ancestors are much belowthe Tachevskis, of whose greatness more fables than truth are related.What I cannot forgive is this: that they pay thee, my poor dear, forthy kindness of an angel, with such ingratitude."
"It was not Pan Yatsek who wrote this, but Father Voynovski," answeredAnulka, seizing, as it were, the last plank of salvation.
The old noble sighed.
"Dost thou believe, girl," inquired he, "that I love thee?"
"I believe," answered she, bending and kissing his hand.
"Though thou believe," said he, stroking her bright head with greattenderness, "thou knowest not clearly that thou art my wholeconsolation. Rarely do I permit myself words such as these, and rarelydo I tell that which my heart feels, since former suffering isconcealed in it. But thou shouldst understand that I have only thee inthe world. I would increase hourly, not thy disappointment, pain, andtrouble, but thy joy and happiness. I do not ask what began to bud inthy heart, but I will say this to thee: whether that was, as I think, apure, sisterly feeling, or something more, that young man was unworthy.He has heaped on us ingratitude in return for our sincere friendship.My Anulka, thou wouldst deceive thyself wert thou to think that thepriest wrote this letter without Yatsek's knowledge. They wrote ittogether and knowest why they replied with such insolence? As I haveheard, Tachevski got money from that Armenian in Yedlinka. That is whathe needs, and now since he has it he cares for naught else, and for noone any longer. This is the truth, and in thy soul thou mustacknowledge that to think otherwise would be willing self-deception."
"I see," answered Anulka.
Pan Gideon meditated awhile as if he were dwelling on something.
"People say," added he finally, "that it is a vice of old people topraise past times and lay blame on the present. But no, this is not avice. The world is growing worse, people are becoming worse. In my dayno man would have acted as has Tachevski. Dost thou know the firstcause of this? That night on the tree, which exposed this lord cavalierto the ridicule of people. To hurry, as it were, to help some one andthen climb a tree out of terror, may happen, but in such a case it isbetter not to boast of it, for the thing is ridiculous, ridiculous! Ido not hold up the Bukoyemskis or Pan Stanislav as heroes: they aredrunkards, road-blockers, gamblers--I know them! Our lives were less intheir minds than were wolf skins. But there is lurking in this Yatseksuch envy that he could not forgive them that chance aid which theygave us. Out of that rose the duel. May God punish me if I had notreason to be angry. Ha, they made friends after the duel, for it isclear that our cavalier understood that he could get money from PanSerafin, so he preferred to turn his malice against this mansion.Pride, animosity, ingratitude, and greed, those are the things which hehas manifested, and nothing better. He has injured me. Never mind. Godforgive him! But why should he attack thee, my dear flower? A neighborfor long years, a guest for long years--daily visits. A gypsy in such aposition would become faithful; a swallow grows used to its roof; astork returns to its nest; but he spat on our house as soon as he feltin his purse the coin of the Armenian. No! No! No man in my day wouldhave acted in that style."
Anulka listened with her palms on her temples, and with eyes lookingout before her in fixedness, so Pan Gideon stopped and looked at heronce, and a second time.
"Why dost thou forget thyself?" asked he.
"I have not forgotten myself, but I am so sad that words have desertedme."
And not finding words she found tears.
Pan Gideon let her cry till she had finished.
"It is better," said he at last, "to let that sadness pass off withtears than let it stay in the heart and be petrified. Ah, it is hard!Let him go, let him clink other men's coin, let him touch the mud withhis saddle-cloth, let him strut as a lord, and court Warsaw harlots.But we will remain here, my girl. That is no great delight, it is true,but still it is a delight, if thou remember that no one in this housewill deceive thee, no one here will offend thee, no one will break thyheart; that here thou wilt be always as an eye in the head of eachperson, that thy happiness will be the first question always, and alsothe last question of my life. Come--"
He stretched his arms toward her, and she fell on his breast withemotion and gratitude, as she would on the breast of a father who wascomforting her in a moment of suffering.
Pan Gideon fell to stroking her bright head with the one hand thatremained to him, and long did they sit there in silence. Meanwhile itwas growing dark, the frosty window-panes glittered in the moonlight,and dogs made themselves heard here and there with prolonged barking.
The warmth of the maiden's body penetrated to the heart of Pan Gideonwhich began to beat with more vigor, and since he feared to make adeclaration too early, he would not expose himself then to temptation.
"Stand up, child," said he. "Thou wilt not weep now?"
"I will not," answered she, kissing his hand.
"Seest thou! Ah, this is it! Remember always the place where thou hasta sure refuge, and where it will be calm for thee, and pleasant. Everyyoung man is glad to race over the world like a tempest, but for methou art the only one. Fix this well in mind. More than once, perhaps,hast thou thought, 'My guardian seems a savage wolf; he is glad to findsome one to shout at, and he has no understanding of my young ideas;'but knowest thou of what this guardian has thought and is thinking atpresent? Often of his past happiness, often of that pain, which like anarrow is fixed in his heart--that is true, but besides that only ofthee and thy future, only of this: to secure every good thing for thee.Pan Grothus and I talked whole hours of this. He laughed because, as hesaid, one thought alone remained with me. My one point was to secure tothee after my death even a sufficient and quiet morsel."
"May God not grant me to wait for that!" cried she, bending again tothe hand of Pan Gideon.
And in her voice there was such sincerity that the stern face of theold noble was radiant with genuine joy for the moment.
"Dost thou love me a little?"
"Oh, guardian!"
"God reward thee, child. My age is not yet so advanced, and my body,save for the wounds in my heart and my person, would be sufficientlystalwart. But as men say, death is ever sitting 'at the gate, andknocks at the door whensoever it pleases. Were it to knock here thouwouldst be alone in the world with Pani Vinnitski. Pan Grothus is agood man and wealthy; he would respect my testament and wishes at alltime
s, but as to other relatives of my late wife--who knows what theywould do? And this estate and this mansion I got with my wife. Herrelatives might wish to resist, and raise lawsuits. There is need tohave foresight in all things. Pan Grothus gave advice touching thiscase--true, it is effective--but strange, and therefore I will notspeak to thee yet of it. I should like to see His Grace the King--toleave thee and my will to his guardianship, but the king is occupiednow with the coming war and the Diet. Pan Grothus says that if there iswar the troops will move first under the hetmans, and the king willjoin them at Cracow--perhaps then--perhaps we shall go together. Butwhatever happens, know this, my child; all that I have will be thine,though I should have to follow at last the advice of Pan Grothus.Yes!--even for one hour before death! Yes, so help me, God. For I amnot a wind in the field, not a harebrain, not a purse emptier, not aTachevski."
On the Field of Glory: An Historical Novel of the Time of King John Sobieski Page 9