Just then within his left hand taking hers—
The right was in a sling, for he was wounded—
“Sophia, thou now must tell me once for all
Ere we change rings. I must be sure of this.
What matter that last winter thou wert ready
To give thy word to me? I would not then
Accept that word. For what to me availed
A promise forced? At that time I had stayed
Short time in Soplicowo. I was not
So vain I could delude myself to thinking
That by one look of mine I could awake
Within thee love. I am no coxcomb; I
By mine own merits wished to gain thy love,
Though long I waited for it. Now thou art
So gracious as to give once more thy word.
By what have I deserved so high a grace?
Maybe thou takest me, Sophia, not
So much from inclination, only that
Thine uncle and thine aunt to this persuade thee.
But marriage is, Sophia, a weighty thing.
Advise with thine own heart; in this attend
No threatenings of thine uncle, nor thine aunt’s
Persuasions. If thou feelest nought for me
But goodwill, we may this betrothal yet
Some time delay. I have no wish to bind
Thy will, and we will wait awhile, Sophia.
Nought hurries us, since yester evening I
Received commandment to remain in Litva,
Drill-master in the regiment here, until
My wounds be healed. What then, beloved Sophia?”
Thereto Sophia answered, raising up
Her head, and looking shyly in his eyes:
“I do not well remember what occurred
Long since; I know they all said that I must
Be married to you; always I agree
With Heaven’s will, and with my elders’ wish.”
Then dropping down her eyes, she added this:
“Before you parted, if you recollect,
When Friar Robak died that stormy night,
I saw that, in departing, you were grieved
To leave us; there were tears within your eyes.
Those tears, I tell you truly, sank within
My heart, so I believe you, that you love me.
As often as I prayed for your success,
You ever stood before me with those large
And shining tears. The Chamberlain’s wife then
Went afterwards to Wilna, and she took me
There with her for the winter; but I longed
For Soplicowo, and that little room,
Where first at eve you met me by the table;
And then took leave. I know not how, your memory,
Something like cabbage-seed in autumn sown,
Through all the winter quickened in my heart;
That, as I said to you, unceasingly
I longed for that apartment, and to me
Did something whisper, I again should find
You there, and so it happened. Having that
Within my heart, your name was often on
My lips; ’twas during Carnival at Wilna;
And the young ladies said I was in love.
Now if I some one loved, who should it be,
Excepting you?” Thaddeus, with such a proof
Of love delighted, took her by the hand,
Pressed it, and they together left the garden,
Went to that lady’s bower, unto that room
Where Thaddeus had dwelt ten years ago.
Now there the Regent tarried, wondrously
Adorned, and served his fair betrothèd dame,
With running to and fro, and offering
Rings, chains, and pots, and flasks, cosmetics, perfumes;
Joyful, he gazed with triumph on the bride.
The bride her toilette ended even now;
She sat before a mirror, taking counsel
Of the divinities of grace; the maids,
Some with the curling-irons renew the stiffened
Rings of the tresses, others, kneeling, labour
Upon the flounces. While the Regent thus
Near his betrothed was busy, at the window
A scullion knocked; a hare had just been seen.
That hare, late stolen from the osiers forth,
Ran through the meadow, in the orchard sprang
Among the growing vegetables. There
He sat, ’twere easy now to start him, and
To hunt him down, the greyhounds placing on
The clearing. The Assessor hastens, dragging
By the collar Sokol; after him makes haste
The Regent, calling Kusy. Both the dogs
The Wojski stations by the hedge, but then
Betook him with his fly-scare to the orchard.
Trampling, and whistling, clapping, much he frightens
The game; the prickers, each one by the collar
His greyhound holding, pointing where the hare
Is stirring, chuckled silently; the dogs
Pricked up their ears impatiently, they trembled,
Like arrows twain upon one bowstring laid.
At once the Wojski gave the starting word;
The hare straight darted from behind the hedge,
Upon the mead; the greyhounds after him.
And presently, without a double, Sokol
And Kusy fell together on the hare,
From two sides in an instant, like a bird’s
Two wings, and plunged into the creature’s back
Their teeth-like claws; the hare gave forth one cry,
Grievous, as of a new-born child. The prickers
Rushed to the spot; the hare now lifeless lies,
The greyhounds tear the white fur on his breast.
The prickers stroked their dogs; meanwhile the Wojski
Drew from his girdle forth a hunting-knife,
Cut off the feet, and said, “To-day the dogs
Shall have an equal fee, for they have both
Won equal glory, equal both in swiftness,
Equal in labour; ‘Worthy is the palace
Of Pac, and Pac is worthy of the palace;’257
Worthy the prickers of their greyhounds, worthy
The greyhounds of their prickers. Here, behold,
Your long and bitter quarrel now is done.
I, whom you chose as judge to hold your stakes,
Pronounce at length my sentence; both of you
Have won; the pledges I restore; let each
Receive his own again, and both you sign
A peace.” Then at the old man’s invitation
The prickers turned a joyous countenance
Upon each other, and together joined
Their right hands, long divided. Then the Regent
Said, “Once I staked a horse with all its trappings.
I notice gave before the local court,
That I deposited my ring as fee
Unto our Judge; a pledge deposited,
Returned may not be. Let the Wojski take
This ring as a remembrance, and command
His name to be thereon engraved, or, if
He will, Hreczecha’s arms. The bloodstone’s smooth,
The gold was tried eleven times. That steed
The lancers for the horse have requisitioned;
But still the saddle has remained with me.
’Tis praised by every connoisseur, as being
Convenient, lasting, lovely as a toy.
The saddle, in the Turkish Cossack style,
Is narrow; in the front a pommel is;
Upon it precious stones, a cushion of
Rich stuff upon the seat; and when you spring
Unto the saddle-bow, on this soft down
Between the pommels you may sit at ease
As on a couch; and when you gallop”—here
Regent Bolesta,
