Part 5 (1/2)
”Ah, is it not a shame for you,” said he, ”being n.o.bles and brothers to raise such a quarrel? Is this the way to nourish love among brothers?
But about what are ye fighting? Is Panna Anulka a mushroom that the first man who finds her in the forest can put her in his basket? It is the custom among pelicans, and they are not n.o.bles, or even people, to yield everything through family affection, and when they fail to find fish they feed one another with blood from their own bodies. Think of your dead parents; they are shedding tears up there now over this quarrelling among sons whom they surely advised to act differently from this when they blessed them. For those parents heavenly food is now tasteless, and they dare not raise their eyes to the Evangelists whose names they gave you in holy baptism.”
Thus spoke Pan Stanislav and though at first he wished to laugh he was touched as he spoke by his own words, for he too had drunk somewhat because of the company at dinner. At last the Bukoyemskis were greatly moved by his speech, and all four of them ended in tears, while Mateush the eldest one cried to them,--
”Oh kill me, for G.o.d's sake, but call me not Cain!”
Thereupon Yan, who had mentioned Cain, threw himself into the arms of Mateush.
”Oh, brother,” cried he, ”give me to the hangman for doing so.”
”Forgive me, or I shall burst open from sorrow,” cried Marek.
”I have barked like a dog against the commandment,” said Lukash.
And they fell to embracing one another, but Mateush freed himself finally from his brothers, sat on a bench very suddenly, unb.u.t.toned his coat, threw open his s.h.i.+rt, and, baring his breast, exclaimed in broken accents,--
”Here ye have me! here, like a pelican!”
Thereupon they sobbed the more loudly.
”A pelican! a genuine pelican! As G.o.d is dear to me,--a pelican!”
”Take Panna Anulka.”
”She is thine! Take her, thou,” said the brothers.
”Let the youngest man have her.”
”Never! Impossible!”
”Devil take her!”
”Devil take her!”
”We don't want her!”
Hereupon Marek struck his thighs with his palms till the chamber resounded.
”I know what's to be done,” cried he.
”What dost thou know? Speak, do not hide it!”
”Let Stanislav have her!”
When they heard this the other three sprang from their benches. Marek's idea struck them to the heart so completely that they surrounded Pan Stanislav.
”Take her, Stashko!”
”It will please us most of all.”
”If thou love us!”