The Deluge. Vol. 2

The old man and his niece lay for whole days in the form of a cross, thanking God for his mercy on the Commonwealth, and doubting their own rescue no longer.

But for a long period there was silence concerning Boguslav, as if he with all his forces had fallen into water. The officers remaining in Taurogi began to be disquieted and to think of their uncertain future. They would have preferred defeat to that deep silence. But no news could come, for just then the terrible Babinich was rushing with his Tartars in front of the prince and stopping all couriers.

CHAPTER XLVI

But a certain day Panna Anusia Borzobogati arrived at Taurogi with a convoy of some tens of soldiers.

Braum received her very politely, for he had to do so, since he was thus commanded by a letter from Sakovich, signed by Boguslav himself, enjoining him to have every regard for this lady-in-waiting of Princess Griselda Vishnyevetski. The young lady herself was full of vivacity; from the first moment she began to pierce Braun with her eyes, so that the sullen German moved about as if some one were touching him with fire; she began also to command other officers, – in a word, to manage in Taurogi as in her own house. In the evening of the same day she made the acquaintance of Olenka, who received her with distrust, it is true, but politely, in the hope that she would get news from her.

In fact, Anusia had news in plenty. Her conversation began with Chenstohova, since the prisoners in Taurogi were most eager for that news. The sword-bearer listened with special diligence; he held his hands behind his ears so as to lose no word, merely interrupting Anusia's narrative from time to time with the exclamation, —

"Praise be to God on high!"

"It is a wonder to me," said Anusia, at last, "that news of these miracles of the Most Holy Lady have only just reached you, for that is an old story. I was still in Zamost, and Pan Babinich had not come for me – ai! how many weeks was it before that? Then they began to beat the Swedes everywhere, in Great Poland and with us; but most of all Pan Charnyetski, before whose very name they fly."

"Oh, Charnyetski!" cried the sword-bearer, rubbing his hands; "he will give them pepper! I heard of him even from the Ukraine, as of a great warrior."

Anusia merely shook her dress, and exclaimed to herself with aversion, as if it were a question of the smallest matter: "Oh, it is all over with the Swedes!"

Old Pan Tomash could not restrain himself. Seizing her small hand, he buried the little thing entirely in his enormous mustaches and kissed it eagerly; at last he cried, —

"Oh, my beauty! honey flows from your mouth, as God is dear to me! It cannot be but an angel has come to Taurogi."

Anusia began at once to twist the ends of her tresses, tied with rosy ribbons, and cutting with her eyes from under her brows, said, —

"Oh, it is far from me to the angels! But the hetmans of the kingdom have begun to beat the Swedes, and all the quarter soldiers with them, and the knights; and they have formed a confederation in Tyshovtsi. The king has joined it, and they have given out manifestoes; even the peasants are beating the Swedes, and the Most Holy Lady gives Her blessing."

She spoke as if a bird were warbling, but from that warbling Billevich's heart grew soft, though some of the news was already known to him. He bellowed at last like an aurochs from delight; tears, too, began to flow over the face of Olenka, silent and many.

Seeing this, Anusia, having a good heart from nature, sprang to her at once, and putting her arms around her neck, began to say quickly, —

"Do not cry; I am sorry for you, and cannot see you shed tears. Why do you weep?"

There was so much sincerity in her voice that Olenka's distrust vanished at once; but the poor girl wept still more.

"You are so beautiful," said Anusia, comforting her. "Why do you cry?"

"From joy," answered Olenka, "but also from suffering; for we are here in grievous captivity, knowing neither the day nor the hour."

"How is that? Are you not with Prince Boguslav?"

"That traitor! that heretic!" roared Billevich.

"The same has happened to me," said Anusia; "but I do not cry for that reason. I do not deny that the prince is a traitor and a heretic; but he is a courteous cavalier, and respects our sex."

"God grant that in hell they will respect him in the same fashion! Young lady, you know him not, for he has not attacked you as he has this maiden. He is an arch-ruffian, and that Sakovich is another. God give Sapyeha to defeat them both!"

"As to defeating, he will defeat them. Prince Boguslav is terribly sick, and he has not a great force. It is true that he advanced quickly, scattered some squadrons, and took Tykotsin and me; but it is not for him to measure with the forces of Pan Sapyeha. You may trust me, for I saw both armies. With Pan Sapyeha are the greatest cavaliers, who will be able to manage Prince Boguslav."

"Well, do you see! have I not told you?" asked the old man, turning to Olenka.

"I know Prince Boguslav from of old," continued Anusia, "for he is a relative of the Vishnyevetskis and Zamoyski; he came once to us at Lubni, when Prince Yeremi himself was campaigning against the Tartars in the Wilderness. He remembered that I was at home there and nearest the princess. I was such a little thing then, not as I am to-day. My God! who could think at that time that he would be a traitor? But grieve not; for either he will fail to return, or we shall escape from this place in some way."

"We have tried that already," said Olenka.

"And you did not succeed?"

"How could we?" asked Billevich. "We told the secret to an officer whom we thought ready to aid us; but it turned out that he was ready to hinder, not to help. Seniority over all here is with Braun, – the Devil himself could not win that man."

Anusia dropped her eyes.

"Maybe I can. If Pan Sapyeha would only come, so that we might have some one with whom to take refuge."

"God give him at the earliest," answered Pan Tomash, "for among his men we have many relatives, acquaintances, and friends. Among them, too, are former officers of the great Yeremi, – Volodyovski, Skshetuski, Zagloba, – I know them."

"But they are not with Sapyeha. Oh, if they were, especially Volodyovski, for Shshetuski is married, I should not be here, for Pan Volodyovski would not let himself be picked up as Pan Kotchyts did."

"He is a great cavalier," said Billevich.

"The glory of the whole Commonwealth," added Olenka.

"Have they not fallen, since you did not see them?"

"Oh, no!" answered Anusia, "for the loss of such knights would be spoken of; but nothing was said. You do not know them, they will never yield; only a bullet will kill them, for no man can stand before Skshetuski, Zagloba, or Pan Michael. Though Pan Michael is small, I remember what Prince Yeremi said of him, – that if the fate of the whole Commonwealth depended on a battle between one man and another, he would choose Pan Michael for the battle. He was the man who conquered Bogun. Oh, no, Pan Michael will help himself always."

Billevich, satisfied that he had some one with whom to talk, began to walk with long strides through the room, asking, —

"Well, well! Then do you know Pan Volodyovski so intimately?"

"Yes; for we lived in the same place so many years."

"Indeed! Then certainly not without love!"

"I'm not to blame for that," answered Anusia, taking a timid posture; "but before this time surely Pan Michael is married."

"And he is just not married."

"Even if he were, it is all one to me."

"God grant you to meet! But I am troubled because you say that they are not with the hetman, for with such soldiers victory would be easier."

"There is some one there who is worth them all."

"Who is he?"

"Pan Babinich from Vityebsk. Have you heard of him?"

"Not a word; which is a wonder to me."