Part 43 (2/2)
”Then at least we will love one another. No one in this world loves us!
No one!”
”No one! no one!” repeated they all in succession, mingling their wine with their tears as they said so.
”But she is sleeping up there!” added Yan on a sudden.
”She is sleeping, the poor little thing,” responded Lukash; ”she is lying down like a flower cut by the scythe, like a lamb torn by a villainous wolf. My born brothers! is there no man here who will take even a pull at the wild beast?”
”It cannot be but there is!” cried out Mateush, Marek, and Yan. And again they grew indignant, and the more they drank the oftener they gritted their teeth, first one, then another, or one of them struck his fist on the table.
”I have an idea!” said the youngest on a sudden.
”Tell it! Have G.o.d in thy heart!”
”Here it is. We have promised Pan Serafin not to cut up that 'stump.'
Have we not promised?”
”We have, but tell what thou hast to say; ask no questions.”
”Though we have promised we must take revenge for our young lady. Old Krepetski will come here, as they said, to see if Pan Serafin will not give back the young lady. But we know that he will not give her, do we not?”
”He will not! he will not!”
”But think ye not this way: Martsian will hurry to meet his father on the road back, to see and inquire if he has succeeded.”
”As G.o.d is in heaven, he will do so.”
”On the road, half-way between Belchantska and Yedlinka, is a tar pit near the roadside. If we should wait at that tar pit for Martsian--?”
”Well, but what for?”
”Ps.h.!.+ quiet!”
”Ps.h.!.+”
And they began to look around through the room, though they knew that save themselves there was not a living soul in it, and then they whispered. They whispered long, now louder, now lower. At last their faces grew radiant, they finished their wine at one draught, embraced one another, and in silence went out of the room one after the other, in goose fas.h.i.+on.
They saddled their horses without the least noise, and each led his beast by the bit from the courtyard. When they had gone through the gate they mounted and rode stirrup by stirrup to the roadway where Yan, though the youngest, took command and said then to his brothers,--
”Now I with Marek will go to the tar pit, and do ye bring that cask before daybreak.”
CHAPTER XIX
Old Krepetski, as had been foreseen by the butler, went to Yedlinka after midday on the morrow, but beyond all expectation he appeared there with so kindly a face, and so gladsome, that Pan Serafin, who had the habit of dozing after dinner, and felt somewhat drowsy, became wide awake with astonishment at sight of him. Almost at the threshold the old fox began to mention neighborly friends.h.i.+p and say what delight his old age would find in more frequent and mutual visits; he gave thanks for the kindly reception, and only after finis.h.i.+ng these courtesies did he come to the real question.
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