Unmoving, leaning on his elbow, nought
Replying, with knitted brow and twitching lips,
And thus still more to Telimena caused
Confusion and surprise. She changed at once
Her countenance, and the tone of her discourse.
She rose up angrily, with bitter words
Began to heap reproach and taunt on him;
And Thaddeus started, ev’n as though a sting
Had pierced him through; he looked away, and coloured,
Unspeaking. Then he kicked his chair away,
And rushed from out the room, and slammed the door.
But happily to none this scene had meaning,
Except to Telimena. Through the gate
He fled, and straightway rushed into the field;
As when a pike, pierced by a fish-spear through,
Splashes and plunges, thinking thus to fly,
Though dragging rope and iron along with him,
So Thaddeus after him vexation drew,
As he o’er ditches and o’er hedges sprang,
Without a goal, or settled road. Around,
He wandered not a little time; at length
He entered in a woodland depth, and came,
Either by fixed design, or else by chance,
Upon that mount, which yesterday had been
The witness of his happiness, and where
That billet he received, of love the token;
The spot, as well we know, called Sanctuary
Of Meditation. As he looked around,
He saw—’twas she! Alone there, Telimena!
In thought deep buried, changed from yesterday
By dress and form; in white, upon a stone,
Herself as turned to stone, her face concealed
Within her open hands; although no sob
Was heard, he saw that she was drowned in tears.
In vain strove Thaddeus against his heart;
He pitied her, and felt by sorrow moved.
Long time he gazed unspeaking, while concealed
Behind a tree. At length he sighed, and spoke
In anger to himself: “Fool that I am!
Is she to blame because I thus mistook?”
So from the tree to her he slowly turned,
When sudden from her seat sprang Telimena;
She threw herself to right and left, she sprang
Across the brook, with arms stretched out, with hair
Dishevelled, pale, she dashed into the wood.
She skipped about, and half knelt down, then fell.
Unable now to rise, she writhed upon
The turf; her movements showed that she endured
Some torture most exceeding; she clutched fast
Her bosom, neck, feet, hands. Then to her side
Sprang Thaddeus, believing she was mad,
Or seized with some most fearful malady.
But from quite other cause these movements came.
There was within the neighbouring birchen grove
A mighty ant-hill. Black and rapid swarmed
Around the industrious insects, through the grass.
But whether it were from necessity,
Or for their pleasure, they especially
To visit Meditation’s Sanctuary
Delighted. From their ant-hill capital,
As far as to the border of the brook,
They had a pathway trodden, by the which
Their ranks could march; and to her great mishap
In middle of this road sat Telimena.
The ants, attracted by her stockings white,
Rushed on them, and began to bite and tickle.
And Telimena was constrained to fly,
To shake them off, at length upon the turf
To sit, and try to chase away the ants.
Assistance Thaddeus could not her refuse,
And making clear her dress, he bent him down
Unto her very feet. By chance his lips
Approached her forehead, in such friendly posture,
Though of their morning quarrel said they nought,
Yet ne’ertheless they were agreed again.
How long their converse had endured none ever
Can know; but suddenly the bell aroused them,
From Soplicowo ringing as the signal
Of supper; it was time now to return
Unto the mansion, all the more that far
Was heard a crackling on the ground, may be
That they were sought for. It were unbecoming
They should return together; Telimena
Stole therefore by the garden to the right,
And Thaddeus took the highway to the left;
And both adopting this manoeuvre felt
No little fear. It once to Telimena
Appeared that from behind a bush looked forth
The pale and hooded face of Robak. Well
Saw Thaddeus how at one time and again
A shadow long and white appeared to left;
He knew not what it was; but yet an inkling
He had that ’twas the Count, in long surtout
Of English cut. They supped within the castle.
The obstinate Protasy, heeding not
The Judge’s orders, in the master’s absence
Again had stormed the castle; as he said,
A credence intromitted thereupon.
The guests in order entered, and around
In circle stood; the Chamberlain then took
The highest place at table; from his years
And dignity this precedence was his.
In going there he to the ladies bowed,
The old men, and the youths; the friar this time
Was not at table; in his place to-day,
Upon the right hand of her husband, sat
The lady of the Chamberlain. The Judge,
When he had placed the guests as fitting, spoke
A prayer in Latin, blessing on the board.
Then wódka was presented to the men.
All after that sat down, and speedily
The whitened chlodnik ate. The chlodnik done,
Came crabs, asparagus, and chicken; in
Their company Hungarian wines appeared,
And Malaga. They ate, they drank, but all
Preserved a gloomy silence. Never since
These castle walls were builded, they which had
So many brother nobles feasted, heard
And given back so many joyous vivats,
Did they remember such a gloomy supper;
Only with sound of corks and clash of plates
The great and empty castle halls resound.
Thou wouldst have said indeed some evil sprite
Had sealed all lips. The causes of this silence
Were many. From the toils the hunters came,
Sufficiently loquacious; but when cooled
Their ardour, when considering the chase,
They soon perceived that they with little glory
Had come therefrom. So was it needful that
One priestly hood, that came where from Heaven knew,
Like Philip from the hemp,149 should so surpass
The hunters of the district? Shame! oh! shame!
What would be said concerning this affair
In Oszmiano, and in Lida, which
So many ages with their district had
Contended for precedence in the chase?
They thought of this. The Regent and Assessor
Had also in their memories the first
Ill-will between them, likewise they remembered
Their greyhounds’ shame; before their eyes still stood
That naughty hare; his long legs stretching out,
And from beneath the thicket them defying,
Wagging his tail; and with that tail he lashed
Their hearts as with a whip. They sat with faces
Bent downwards to their plates. The Assessor had
Another grievance to lament, as he
On Telimena and his rivals gazed.
She sat by Thaddeus, but, all confused,
Scarce dared to glance at him; the gloomy Count
She made endeavour to beguile, to challenge
To longer conversation, and to bring him
To better humour.
