Part 31 (2/2)
”And for bringing order into the world!...”
”And for weeding out wrong and planting justice!...” The words rang out menacingly, and again the peasants shook their clenched fists in the miller's frightened face.
”Good G.o.d! what do you fellows want? What am I guilty of?” he gasped, terrified, looking round from side to side. But, without heeding him, Jedrzej began to speak quickly and in a low, hard voice which penetrated the miller like frost.
”As he won't confess, he is guilty. Take him, and we will try him at the church.... Everyone who wrongs the people will be brought to a just trial, and be heavily sentenced. Take him, you fellows!”
”Jesus! Mary! Men!...” the miller stammered in deadly fear, looking round distractedly, for the peasants all advanced towards him together. ”Men!... How can I tell you?... I have sworn to it. They'll burn the house down or kill me if I say who they are.... Merciful Jesu! Let me be! I'll tell you everything! I'll tell you!” His voice quavered, for several hands had already seized him and were dragging him towards the door.
It was some time before he was able to speak. He fell panting on the table. They stood round him, and someone gave him a little water to drink, while others said in a friendly way:
”Don't be afraid; no one who is on the side of the people will have a hair on his head touched.”
”Only confess the whole truth.”
”We know you're an honest man, and will tell us the scoundrels'
names.”
The miller writhed inwardly, like an eel when it is trodden upon; he went hot and cold, and became alternately pale and red. Suddenly he drew himself up, ready for anything. But before he began to speak he glanced into the next room.
There was a glimpse of Jadwis, as though she were just jumping away from behind the door. He looked out of the window, and then, standing up before the group of peasants, he crossed himself and said:
”I am telling you the truth as though I were at Confession; it was the two Gajdas and the Starszy.”[19]
There was silence. The men stood petrified and stared at one another, panting and drawing long, hoa.r.s.e breaths. Jedrzej was the first to speak:
”That's what we were thinking, but we couldn't be sure. Now we know what we want to know. We know them, the filthy scoundrels!” He banged his fist on the table. ”They are weeds that must be torn up by the roots so that they mayn't spread. Both the Gajdas--father and son? And the Starszy is the third? Then, in G.o.d's Name, we'll go to them, and you'll go with us, miller, so that you may tell them the truth to their face.”
”I'll go and tell them--that I will! It's as if a weight had fallen from my shoulders. I'll stand up and tell them they're robbers and thieves. Good G.o.d! I knew what they were up to, but I daren't breathe a word about it. May they be broken upon the wheel for my sin in being such a coward! I was ashamed to look people in the face when everyone was calling out about those robberies.... The rascals! they took away my horses; I sent them the ransom through the Starszy, but they didn't give them back.... And afterwards I caught them in my bedroom: they fleeced me of every penny, and they threatened me with their knives.... As if that weren't enough, I had to swear I'd not let out who'd done it!”
”The whole neighbourhood has suffered through them.”
”They have stolen a great many horses and cows from people, and a lot of money.”
”It was easy for them to do all that, for the Starszy gave them the go-by, and went shares with them....”
”They had a gay time at our expense; let them pay for it now....”
”If everyone talks, I'll have my say, too,” someone exclaimed. ”I know that the Gajdas betrayed the priest for having married the young couple from Podlasia.”[20]
”What!... They even betrayed the priest?”
”And the postmaster's daughters who taught the children[21]--it must have been they who betrayed them?”
”So it was! So it was! We know that!” the miller a.s.serted rancorously.
”Then it's they who robbed and killed the Jews in the forest!”
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