The Deluge. Vol. 2

Zamoyski's heavy guns were placed in the position taken by Kmita; they began work immediately against the walls and the gate, and forced the Swedish howitzers to silence at once. General Grodzitski himself occupied the "molehill," and Kmita returned to his Tartars.

But he had not reached his quarters when he was summoned to Uyazdov. The king in presence of the whole staff applauded the young knight; neither Charnyetski, Sapyeha, Lyubomirski, nor the hetmans spared praises on him. He stood there in torn garments covered with earth, his face entirely discolored with powder smoke; without sleep, soiled, but joyous because he had held the place, had won so much praise, and gained immeasurable glory in both armies. Among other cavaliers Pan Michael and Pan Yan congratulated him.

"You do not know indeed, Pan Andrei," said the little knight, "what great weight you have with the king. I was at the council of war yesterday, for Pan Charnyetski took me with him. They talked of the storm, and then of the news which had just come in from Lithuania, the war there, and the cruelties which Pontus de la Gardie and the Swedes permit. They were considering at the council how to strengthen resistance. Sapyeha said it was best to send thither a couple of squadrons and a man who could be there what Charnyetski was at the beginning of the war in Poland. To which the king answered: 'There is only one such man, Babinich.' The others confirmed this at once."

"I would go most willingly to Lithuania, and especially to Jmud," answered Kmita. "I resolved to ask of the king myself permission to go, but I am waiting till Warsaw is taken."

"There will be a general storm to-morrow," said Zagloba.

"I know, but how is Kettling?"

"Who is that? Hassling?"

"All one, for he has two names, as is the custom among the English, the Scots, and many other nations."

"True," answered Zagloba, "and a Spaniard every day of the week has a new name for himself. Your servant told me that Hassling, or Kettling, is well; he has begun to talk, walks, the fever has left him, he calls for food every hour."

"Have you been with him?" asked Kmita of Pan Michael.

"I have not, for I have had no time. Who has a head for anything but the storm?"

"Then let us go now."

"Go to sleep first," said Zagloba.

"True! true! I am barely standing on my feet."

So when he came to his own quarters Pan Andrei followed Zagloba's advice, especially as he found Hassling asleep. But Zagloba and Volodyovski came to see him in the evening; they sat down in the broad summer-house which the Tartars had made for their "bagadyr." The Kyemliches poured out for them mead a hundred years old, which the king had sent to Kmita; and they drank it willingly, for the air was hot outside. Hassling, pale and emaciated, seemed to draw life and strength from the precious liquid. Zagloba clicked with his tongue, and wiped perspiration from his forehead.

"Hei! how the great guns are thundering!" said the young Scot, listening. "To-morrow you will go to the storm – it is well! – for the healthy – God give you blessing! I am of foreign blood, and serve him whom it was my duty to serve, but you have my best wishes. Ah, what mead this is! Life enters me."

Thus speaking, he threw back his golden hair and raised his blue eyes toward heaven; he had a wonderful face, half childlike as yet. Zagloba looked at him with a certain emotion.

"You speak Polish as well as any of us," said he. "Become a Pole, love this our country, and you will do an honorable deed, and mead will not be lacking to you. It is not difficult for a soldier to receive naturalization with us."

"All the more easy since I am a noble," answered Hassling. "My name is Hassling-Kettling of Elgin. My family come from England, though settled in Scotland."

"Those countries beyond the sea are far away, and somehow it is more decent for a man to live here," said Zagloba.

"It is pleasant for me here."

"But unpleasant for us," said Kmita, who from the beginning was twisting impatiently on the bench, "for we are anxious to hear what is going on in Taurogi; but you are talking genealogies."

"Ask me; I will answer."

"Have you seen Panna Billevich often?"

Over the pale face of Hassling blushes passed. "Every day!" said he.

Kmita looked at him quickly. "Were you such a confidant? Why do you blush? Every day, – how every day?"

"For she knew that I wished her well, and I rendered her some services. That will appear from the further narrative, but now it is necessary to commence at the beginning. You, gentlemen, know, perhaps, that I was not at Kyedani when Prince Boguslav came and took that lady to Taurogi? Therefore I will not repeat why that happened, for different people gave different accounts. I will only say that they had scarcely arrived when all saw at once that the prince was terribly in love – "

"God punish him!" cried Kmita.

"Amusements followed, such as had not been before, – tilting at the ring and tournaments. Any one would have thought it a time of the greatest peace; but letters were coming in every day, as well as envoys from the elector and from Prince Yanush. We knew that Prince Yanush was pushed by Sapyeha and the confederates; he implored for rescue by the mercy of God, for destruction was threatening him. We did nothing. On the elector's boundary troops were standing ready, captains were coming with letters; but we did not go with assistance, for the prince had no success with the lady."

"Is that why Boguslav did not give aid to his cousin?" asked Zagloba.

"It is. Patterson said the same, and all the persons nearest the prince. Some complained of this; others were glad that the Radzivills were falling. Sakovich conducted all public business for the prince, answered letters, and held council with the envoys; but the prince was laboring on one idea only, to contrive some kind of amusement, either a cavalcade or hunt. He, a miser, scattered money on every side. He gave orders to fell forests for whole miles, so that the lady might have a better view from her windows; in a word, he really scattered flowers under her feet, and received her in such fashion that had she been Queen of Sweden he could have invented nothing better. Many pitied her and said, 'All this is for her ruin; as to marrying, the prince will not marry, and if he can only catch her heart he will deceive her.' But it appeared that she was not a lady to be conducted whither virtue does not go. Oh!"

"Well, what?" cried Kmita, springing up. "I know that better than others!"

"How did Panna Billevich receive these royal homages?" asked Pan Michael.

"At first with affable face, though it was evident that she was bearing some sorrow in her heart. She was present at the hunts, at the masquerades, cavalcades, and tournaments, thinking indeed that these were usual court amusements with the prince. It happened on a time that the prince, straining his imagination over various spectacles, wished to show the lady the counterfeit of war; he had a settlement burned near Taurogi, infantry defended it, the prince stormed the place. Evidently he gained a great victory, after which, being sated with praise, he fell at the lady's feet and begged for a return of his love. It is not known what he proposed to her, but from that time their friendship was at an end. She began to hold night and day to the sleeve of her uncle, the sword-bearer of Rossyeni; but the prince – "

"Began to threaten her, did he?" cried Kmita.

"What, threaten! He dressed himself as a Greek shepherd, as Philemon; special couriers were flying to Königsberg for patterns of shepherd's garments, for ribbons and wigs. He feigned despair, he walked under her windows, and played on a lute. And here I tell you, gentlemen, what I really think. He was a savage executioner of the virtue of ladies, and it may be boldly said of him, as is said in our country of such people, his sighs filled out the sails of more than one lady; but this time he fell in love in earnest, – which is no wonder, for the lady reminds one more of a goddess than a dweller in this earthly vale."

Here Hassling blushed again, but Pan Andrei did not see it; for seizing his sides with satisfaction and pride, he looked with a triumphant glance at Zagloba and Volodyovski.

"We know her, a perfect Diana; she needs only the moon in her hair!" said the little knight.

"What, Diana! Diana's dogs would howl at Diana if they could see Panna Billevich."

"Therefore I said it is 'no wonder,'" answered Hassling.

"Well! But for that 'no wonder' I would burn him with a slow fire; for that 'no wonder' I would have him shod with hob-nails – "

"Give us peace!" interrupted Zagloba. "Get him first, then play pranks; but now let this cavalier speak."

"More than once I was on watch before the room in which he slept," continued Hassling. "I know how he turned on his bed, sighed, talked to himself, and hissed, as if from pain; evidently desires were burning him. He changed terribly, dried up. It may be, too, that the illness under which he afterward fell was diving into him. Meanwhile news flew through the whole court that the prince had become so distracted that he wanted to marry. This came to Yanush's princess, who with her daughter was living at Taurogi. Then began anger and disputes; for, as you know, Boguslav, according to agreement, is to marry Yanush's daughter when she comes of age. But he forgot everything, so pierced was his heart. Yanush's princess, falling into a rage, went with her daughter to Courland. That same evening he made a proposal to Panna Billevich."

"Did he make proposals?" cried Zagloba, Kmita, and Pan Michael, with astonishment.

"He did. First to the sword-bearer of Rossyeni, who was no less astonished than you, and would not believe his own ears; but convinced at last he was barely able to control himself from delight, for it was no small splendor for the house of Billevich to be united with the Radzivills. It is true, as Patterson said, that there is some connection already, but it is old and forgotten."

"Tell on!" said Kmita, trembling from impatience.

"Both went to the lady with all ostentation, as is the custom on such occasions. The whole court was trembling. Evil tidings came from Prince Yanush. Sakovich alone read them, but no one paid attention to them, nor even to Sakovich, for he had fallen out of favor because he had proposed the marriage. But among us some said that it was no novelty for the Radzivills to marry ordinary noble women; that in the Commonwealth all nobles were equal, and that the house of Billevich went back to Roman times. And this was said by those who wished to gain for themselves the favor of the coming princess. Others asserted that this was a stratagem of the prince to come to great intimacy with the lady, which happens not infrequently between persons betrothed."

"That was it! Nothing else," said Zagloba.

"And so I think," said Hassling; "but listen further. When we were deliberating in the court among ourselves in this fashion, the report went out like a thunderbolt that the lady had cut all doubt as with a sabre, for she refused him directly."

"God bless her!" cried Kmita.