CHAPTER XIII
The servants, at command of the prelate, bore the sick man to the otherend of the mansion, to the "chancellery," which served Pan Gideon alsoas a bedroom. They sent immediately for the village blacksmith, whoknew how to bleed, and bled men as well as animals. It appeared after amoment that he was in front of the mansion with a whole crowd gatheredthere for entertainment, but he was quite drunk, unluckily. PaniVinnitski remembered that Father Voynovski had the fame of being anexcellent physician, so a carriage was sent with all speed for him,though it seemed clear that every effort would fail, and that no rescuewas possible for the sick man. That was in truth the position.
Except Panna Anulka, Pani Vinnitski, the two Krepetskis, and PanZabierzovski, who occupied himself somewhat with medicine, the prelateadmitted none to the chancellery, lest a throng might hinder recovery.All other guests, as well women as men, had gathered into the adjoininglarge chamber where beds for men had been provided. All were like aflock of frightened sheep, filled with fear, alarm, and curiosity.Watching the door, they waited for tidings, and some of them maderemarks in undertones touching that terrible happening, and touchingthose omens which had announced it.
"Did you notice how the lights quivered, and the flames were in somemanner blackish? From this it is clear that Death had overshadowedthem," said one of the Sulgostovskis, in a whisper.
"Death was among us, and we did not know her."[5]
"The dogs howled at her."
"And that clatter! Perhaps that was just Death on her journey."
"It is clear that God did not favor the marriage, which would have beenan injustice to the family."
Further whispering was stopped by the coming of Pani Vinnitski andMartsian.
Pani Vinnitski hurried through the chamber, she was in haste to bring areliquary which warded off evil spirits; but Martsian they surroundedimmediately.
"How is he?"
Martsian shrugged his shoulders, raised them till his head seemed to bein his bosom, and answered,--
"He is rattling yet."
"Is there no hope?"
"None."
At that moment through the open door came distinctly the solemn wordsof the prelate,--
"_Ego te absolve a peccatis tuis--et ab omnibus censuris, in nominePatris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti_. Amen." (I absolve thee from thysins, and from all blame, in the name of the Father and Son and HolyGhost.)
All knelt and began to pray. Pani Vinnitski passed between the kneelingpeople, holding with both hands the reliquary. Martsian followed andclosed the door after him.
But it was not closed long, for a quarter of an hour later Martsianappeared in it and said in his squeaking voice of a clarionet,--
"He is dead!"
Then with the words, "Eternal rest," they moved one after another tothe chancellery, to cast a last look at the dead man.
Meanwhile at the other end of the house, in the dining-hall, revoltingscenes were enacted. The servants of the household had hated Pan Gideonas much as they had feared him; hence it seemed to them that with hisdeath would come an hour of relief, delight, and impunity. To servantsfrom outside an occasion was offered for revelry; so all servants, aswell those of the house as others summoned in to assist them, tipsymore or less since midday, rushed now at the wine and the viands.Servants raised to their lips whole flasks of Dantsic liquor,Malmoisie, and Hungarian wine; others, more greedy for food, seizedpieces of meat and cake. The snow-white tablecloth was stained in onetwinkle with gravies. In the disturbance chairs were overturned on thefloor and candlesticks on the table. Ornamented cut glasses fell fromdrunken hands to the floor with a crash and were broken. Quarrels andfights burst out here and there in the dining-hall. Some stole tableornaments directly. In one word, an orgy began, sounds of which flew tothe other end of the mansion.
Martsian Krepetski, and after him the two Sulgostovskis, youngZabierzovski and one more of the guests, rushed toward those outcries,and at sight of what was happening drew their sabres. At the firstmoment disturbance increased. The Sulgostovskis went no further than tostrike with the flat of the weapons, but Martsian was seized by anaccess of fury. His staring eyes protruded still farther, his teethglittered from under his mustaches, and he began to cut with the sabreedge whatever man met him. Some were covered with blood, others hidunder the table; the remainder crowded in disordered flight through thedoor, and Martsian cut at this throng while he shouted,--
"Dog brothers! Scoundrels! I am master in this place!"
And he rushed after them to the entrance whence his shrieking voice washeard shouting,--
"Clubs! rods!"
And the guests stood in the hall, as in ruins, gazing with mortifiedlook, and shaking their heads at the spectacle.
"I have never seen such a sad sight," said one Sulgostovski.
"A wonderful death, and wonderful happenings! Look at this it is justas if Tartars had raided the mansion."
"Or evil spirits," added Zabierzovski. "A terrible night!"
They commanded the servants hidden under the table to crawl forth andbring some order to the dining-hall. They came out, perfectly soberedfrom terror, and went to work nimbly.
Meanwhile Martsian had returned. He was calmer, but his lips were stilltrembling from anger.
"They will come to their minds!" said he, addressing those present."But I thank you, gentlemen, for helping me to punish those ruffians.It will not be easier here for them than it was in the days of the deadman! My head upon that point."
The Sulgostovskis looked at him quickly, and one said,--
"You have not to thank us more than we you."
"How is that?"
"Why art thou qualifying to be the only judge here?" asked the other ofthe twins.
Martsian, as if wishing to spring to their eyes, sprang upward on hisshort bow-legs straightway, and shouted,--
"I have the right, the right!"
"What right?"
"A better right than yours."
"How is that? Hast read the will?"
"What is a will to me?" Here he blew on the palm of his hand; "that'swhat it is,--wind! To whom has he willed it--to his wife? But where ishis wife? That is the question--we are next of kin here. We--theKrepetskis, not you."
"But we will see about that. God kill thee!"
"God kill thee! Clear out!"
"Thou goat! Thou nasty cur! Why dost thou tell us to go? Better have acare of thy goat forehead!"
"Are ye threatening?"
Here Martsian shook his sabre and pushed up to the brothers. They toograsped at their weapons.
But at that moment the offended voice of the prelate was heard therebehind them,--
"Gracious gentlemen, the dead man is not cold yet."
The Sulgostovskis were terribly ashamed, and one of them said,--
"Reverend prelate, we are not to blame; we have our own bread and donot desire that of others, but this serpent is beginning to sting, andwishes to drive people out of this mansion."
"What people? Whom?"
"Whomever he comes upon. To-day us, whom he has ordered away,to-morrow, perhaps, the orphan bride living under this roof here."
"That is untrue! untrue!" cried Martsian.
And, winding himself into a ball, he laughed sneeringly, rubbed hishands, bowed down and said with a certain envenomed sincerity,--
"On the contrary, on the contrary! I invite all to the funeral and tothe feast following after the interment. I beg most humbly; my fatherand I beg. And as to Panna Sieninski, she will find at all times aroof, and protection, and care at all times, at all times!"
And he went on rubbing his hands very gleefully.
On the Field of Glory: An Historical Novel of the Time of King John Sobieski Page 14