Part 21 (1/2)

”He took ten ducats with him. Very well; of that, beyond doubt, he will bring nothing back. Let us count farther: from Kondrat, the brewer, five as a loan, from Slonka, three. From Dudu six Prussian thalers and a borrowed saddle-horse, to be paid for in barley if there is a harvest. Total, eight golden ducats, six thalers, and twenty ducats of mine--too little! Even if I should give him the Wallachian as an attendant, that would be, counting his own mount, two horses; and for a wagon two more are needed--and for Yatsek at least two more. It is impossible to go with fewer, for, if one horse should die he must have another. And a uniform for his man, and supplies for the wagon, kettles and cover and camp chest--tfu! He could only join the dragoons with such money.”

Then he turned to the animals which were raising a considerable uproar.

”Be quiet, ye traitors, or your hides will be sold to Jew hucksters!”

And again talk began:

”Yatsek is right, he will have to sell Vyrambki. Still, if he does, he will have nothing to answer when any one asks him: 'Whence dost thou come?' 'Whence?' 'From Wind.' 'Which Wind?' 'Wind in the Field.'

Immediately every one will slight such a person. It would be better to mortgage the place if a man could be found to give money. Pan Gideon would be the most suitable person, but Yatsek would not hear of Pan Gideon, and I myself would not talk with him on the subject--My G.o.d!

People are mistaken when they say: 'poor as a church mouse!' A man is often much poorer. A church mouse has Saint Stephen;[3] he lives in comfort, and has his wax at all seasons. O Lord Jesus, who multiplied loaves and fishes, multiply these few ruddy ducats, and these few thalers, for to thee, O Lord, nothing will be diminished, and Thou wilt help the last of the Tachevskis.”

Then it occurred to him that the Prussian thalers, since they came from a Lutheran country, could rouse only abhorrence in heaven; as to the ducats he hesitated whether to put them under Christ's feet for the night would he find them there multiplied in the morning? He did not feel worthy of a miracle, and even he struck himself a number of times on the breast in repentance for his insolent idea. He could not dwell on this longer, however, for some one had come to the front of his dwelling.

After a while the door opened and a tall, gray haired man entered. He had black eyes and a wise, kindly countenance. The man bowed on the threshold.

”I am Tsyprianovitch of Yedlinka,” said he.

”Yes. I saw you in Prityk, at the festival, but only at a distance, for the throng there was great,” said the priest, approaching his guest with vivaciousness. ”I greet you on my lowly threshold with gladness.”

”I have come hither with gladness,” answered Pan Serafin. ”It is an important and pleasant duty to salute a knight so renowned, and a priest who is so saintly.”

Then he kissed the old man on the shoulder and the hand, though the priest warded off these acts, saying,--

”Ho, what saintliness! These beasts here may have before G.o.d greater merit than I have.”

But Pan Serafin spoke so sincerely and with such simplicity that he won the priest straightway. They began at once, therefore, to speak pleasant words which were heartfelt.

”I know your son,” said the priest; ”he is a cavalier of worth and n.o.ble manners. In comparison, those Bukoyemskis seem simply serving-men. I will say to you that Yatsek Tachevski has conceived such a love for Pan Stanislav that he praises him always.”

”And my Stashko treats him in like manner. It happens frequently that men fight and later on love each other. None of us feel offence toward Pan Tachevski, nay, we should like to conclude with him real friends.h.i.+p. I have just been at his house in Vyrambki, expecting to find him. I wished to invite to Yedlinka you, my benefactor, and Pan Tachevski.”

”Yatsek is in Radom, but he will return and would be glad, doubtless, to serve you-- But have you seen, your grace, how they treated him at Pan Gideon's?”

”They have seen that themselves,” said Pan Serafin, ”and are sorry, not Pan Gideon, however, but the women.”

”There are few men so stubborn as Pan Gideon, and he incurs a serious account before the Lord sometimes for this reason--as for the women--G.o.d be with them-- Let them go, what is the use in hiding this: that one of them caused the duel?”

”I divined that before my son told me. But the cause is innocent.”

”They are all innocent-- Do you know what Ecclesiastes says of women?”

Pan Serafin did not know, so the priest took down the Vulgate and read an extract from Ecclesiastes.

”What do you think of that?” asked he.

”There are women even of that kind.”

”Yatsek is going into the world for no other cause, and I am far from dissuading him. On the contrary, I advise him to go.”

”Do you? Is he going soon? The war will come only next summer.”