CHAPTER XXVII
At last the long-wished-for day of his happiness came to Tachevski. InCracow a report had gone out among the citizens, and was repeated withwonder, that in the army was a knight who would marry on one day andmount his horse the day following. When the report went out also thatthe king and queen would be at the marriage, crowds began from earlymorning to assemble in the church and outside it. At length the crowdwas so great that the king's men had to bring order to the square sothat the marriage guests might have a free passage. Tachevski'scomrades assembled to a man; this they did out of good-will andfriendship, and also because it was dear to each one of them to be seenin a company where the king himself would be present, and to belong, asit were, to his private society. Many dignitaries appeared also, evenmen who had never heard of Tachevski, for it was known that the queenfavored the marriage, and at the court much depended on her inclinationand favor.
To some of the lords it was not less wonderful than to the citizensthat the king should find time to be at the marriage of a simpleofficer, while on that king's shoulders the fate of the whole world wasthen resting, and day after day couriers from foreign lands were flyingin on foaming horses; hence some considered this as coming from thekindness of the monarch and his wish to win the army, while others madesuppositions that there existed some near bond of kinship, difficult tobe acknowledged; others ridiculed these suppositions, stating justlythat in such a case the queen, who had so little condescension for thefailings of cavaliers that the king more than once had been forced tomake explanations, would not have been so anxious for the union of thelovers.
People remembered little of the Sieninskis, so to avoid every calumnyand gossip the king declared that the Sobieskis owed much to thatfamily. Then people of society were concerned with Panna Anulka, and,as is usual at courts, at one time they pitied, at another time theywere moved by her sufferings, and next they lauded her virtue andcomeliness. Reports of her beauty spread widely even among citizens,but when at last they saw her no one was disappointed.
She came to the church with the queen, hence all glances went first tothat lofty lady whose charms were still brilliant, like the bright sunbefore evening; but when they were turned to the bride, all men amongdignitaries, the military, the nobles, and citizens whispered, and evenloud voices were heard.
"Wonderful, wonderful! That man owes much to his eyes, who has beheldonce in life such a woman."
And this was true. Not always in those times was a maiden dressed inwhite for her marriage, but the young ladies and the assistants arrayedAnulka in white, for such was her wish, and that was the color of herfinest robe also. So in white, with a green wreath on her golden hair,and with a face confused a trifle, and pale, with downcast eyes, she,silent, and slender, looked like a snowy swan, or simply like a whitelily. Even Yatsek himself, to whom she seemed in some sort a newperson, was astonished at sight of her. "In God's name!" said he tohimself, "how can I approach her? She is a genuine queen, or entirelyan angel with whom it is sinful to speak unless kneeling." And he wasalmost awestruck. But when at last he and she knelt side by side beforethe altar, and heard the voice of Father Voynovski full of emotion, ashe began with the words: "I knew you both as little children," andjoined their hands with his stole, when he heard his own low voice: "Itake thee as wife," and the hymn, _Veni Creator_ burst forth a momentlater, it seemed to Yatsek that happiness would burst his bosom, andthat all the easier since he was not wearing his armor. He had lovedthis woman from childhood, and he knew that he loved her, but now, forthe first time, he understood how he loved her without measure orlimit. And again he began to say to himself: I must die, for if a manduring life were to have so much happiness, what more could there befor him in heaven? But he thought that before he died he must thankGod; and all at once there flew before the eyes of his soul Turkishwarriors in legions, beards, turbans, sashes, crooked sabres, horsetailstandards. So from his heart was rent the shout to God: "I will thankto the full, to the full!" And he felt, that for those enemies of thecross and the faith, he would become a destroying lion. That visionlasted only one twinkle, then his breast was filled with a boundlesswave of love and rapture.
Meanwhile the ceremony was ended, the retinue moved to the dwellingprepared for the young couple by Stanislav, and ornamented by hiscomrades in the regiment. For one moment only could Yatsek press to hisheart the young Pani Tachevski, for straightway both ran to meet theking and queen, who had come from the church to them. Two higharmchairs had been fixed for the royal pair at the table, so, after theblessing, during which the young people knelt before majesty, Yatsekbegged the gracious lord and lady to the wedding feast, but the kinghad to give a refusal.
"Dear comrade," said he, "I should be glad to talk with thee, and stillmore with thee, my relative," here he turned to Pani Tachevski, "anddiscuss the coming dowry. I will remain a moment and drink a health toyou, but I may not sit down, for I have so much on my head, that everyhour now is precious."
"We believe that!" cried a number of voices.
Tachevski seized the feet of the king, who took a filled goblet fromthe table.
"Gracious gentlemen!" said he, "the health of the young couple!"
A shout was heard: "_Vivant! crescant, floreant!_" Then the king againspoke,--
"Enjoy your happiness quickly," said he to Tachevski, "for it deservesthat, and it will not be long. Thou shouldst remain here a few days,but then thou must follow on quickly for we shall not wait for thee."
"It is easier for her to hold out without thee, than Vienna withoutus," said Pan Marek Matchynski, smiling at Yatsek.
"But Lyubomirski is shelling out the Turks there," said one of thehussars.
"I have good news from our men," said the king. "This I have commandedMatchynski to bring, to be read to you, and gladden the hearts of ourwarriors. It is what the Duke of Lorraine, commander-in-chief for theemperor, writes me of the battle near Presburg."
And he read somewhat slowly, for he read to the nobles in Polish, andthe letter was in the French language.
"'The emperor's cavalry advanced with effect and enthusiasm, but theaction was ended by the Poles who left no work to the Germans. I cannotfind words sufficient to praise the strength, valor, and bearing of theofficers and soldiers led by Pan Lyubomirski.[8]
"'The battle,' writes the Duke of Lorraine, 'was a great one, and ourglory not small.'"
"We will show that we are not worse," cried the warriors.
"I believe and am confident, but we must hasten, for later lettersportend evil. Vienna is barely able to breathe, and all Christianityhas its eyes on us. Shall we be there in season?"
"Few regiments have remained here, the main forces are at the TarnovskiHeights waiting, as I have heard, under the hetmans," said FatherVoynovski, "but though our hands are needed at Vienna, they are notneeded so much as a leader like your Royal Grace."
Sobieski smiled at this and answered,--
"That, word for word, is what the Duke of Lorraine writes. So,gentlemen, keep the bridles in hand, for any hour I may order thesounding of trumpets."
"When, gracious lord?" called a number of voices.
The king grew impressive in a moment.
"I will send off to-morrow those regiments which are still with me,"then he glanced quickly at Tachevski, as if testing him. "Since hergrace the queen will go to the Heights with us to see the review there,thou, unless thou ask of us an entirely new office, may remain here, ifthou engage to overtake us exactly."
Yatsek, putting his arm around his wife, pushed one step toward theking with her.
"Gracious lord," said he, "if the German empire, or even the kingdom ofFrance were offered me in exchange for this lady, God, who sees mywhole heart, knows that I would not accept either, and that I would notgive her for any treasure in existence. But God forbid that I shouldabandon my service, or lose an opportunity, or neglect a war forreligion, or desert my own leader for the sake of private happiness. IfI did I should desp
ise myself, and she, for I know her, would alsodespise me. O gracious lord, if ill luck or misfortune were to bar theroad and I could not join thee I should burn up from shame and fromanguish." Here tears dimmed his eyes, blushes came to his cheeks, and,in a voice trembling from emotion, he added: "To-day I blasphemedbefore the altar, for I said: 'O God, I will thank to the full, to thefull for this.'--But only with my life, with my blood, with my laborcould I return thanks for the happiness which has met me. For this veryreason I shall ask no new office, and when thou shalt move, graciousleader and king, I will not delay even one day behind thee. I will goat the same hour, though I were to fall on the morrow." And he knelt atthe feet of Sobieski, who, bending forward, embraced his head and thenanswered,--
"Give me more of such men, and the Polish name will go through theworld thundering."
Father Voynovski had tears in his eyes, the Bukoyemskis were weepinglike beavers. Emotion and enthusiasm seized every man present.
"On the pagans, for the faith!" roared many voices. And then beganrattling of sabres. But when it had grown somewhat quiet Pani Tachevskibent to the ear of her husband and, with pale lips, whispered intoit,--
"O Yatsek, wonder not at my tears, for if thou go I may never see theehereafter--but go!"
On the Field of Glory: An Historical Novel of the Time of King John Sobieski Page 28