The bishop, seeing that public profit might come from the vow, promised willingly.
Next morning there was a solemn service in the cathedral. Knights, nobles, soldiers, and common people heard it with devotion and elevation of spirit. Pan Michael and Ketling lay each in the form of a cross before the altar; Krysia and Basia were kneeling near by beyond the railing, weeping, for they knew that that vow might bring danger to the lives of their husbands.
At the end of Mass, the bishop turned to the people with the monstrance; then the little knight rose, and kneeling on the steps of the altar, said with a moved but calm voice—
“Feeling deep gratitude for the special benefactions and particular protection which I have received from the Lord God the Most High, and from His only Son, I vow and take oath that as He and His Son have aided me, so will I to my last breath defend the Holy Cross. And since command of the old castle is confided to me, while I am alive and can move hands and feet, I will not admit to the castle the Pagan enemy, who live in vileness, nor will I leave the wall, nor will I raise a white rag, even should it come to me to be buried there under ruins. So help me God and the Holy Cross! Amen!”
A solemn silence reigned in the church; then the voice of Ketling was heard.
“I promise,” said he, “for the particular benefactions which I have experienced in this fatherland, to defend the castle to the last drop of my blood, and to bury myself under its ruins, rather than let a foot of the enemy enter its walls. And as I take this oath with a clean heart and out of pure gratitude, so help me God and the Holy Cross! Amen!”
Here the bishop held down the monstrance, and gave it to Volodyovski to kiss, then to Ketling. At sight of this the numerous knights in the church raised a buzz. Voices were heard: “We will all swear!” “We will lie one upon another!” “This fortress will not fall!” “We will swear!” “Amen, amen, amen!” Sabres and rapiers came out with a gritting from the scabbard, and the church became bright from the steel. That gleam shone on threatening faces and glittering eyes; a great, indescribable enthusiasm seized the nobles, soldiers, and people. Then all the bells were sounded; the organ roared; the bishop intoned, “Sub Tuum præsidium;” a hundred voices thundered in answer; and thus they prayed for that fortress which was the watchtower of Christendom and the key of the Commonwealth.
At the conclusion of the service Ketling and Pan Michael went out of the church hand in hand. Blessings and praise were given them on the way, for no one doubted that they would die rather than surrender the castle. Not death, however, but victory and glory seemed to float over them; and it is likely that among all those people they alone knew how terrible the oath was with which they had bound themselves. Perhaps also two loving hearts had a presentiment of the destruction which was hanging over their heads, for neither Basia nor Krysia could gain self-composure; and when at last Pan Michael found himself in the cloister with his wife, she, choking from tears, and sobbing like a little child, nestled up to his breast, and said in a broken voice—
“Remember—Michael—God keep misfortune from you—I—I—know not what—will become of me!”
And she began to tremble from emotion; the little knight was moved greatly too. After a time he said—
“But, Basia, it was necessary.”
“I would rather die!” said Basia.
Hearing this, the little knight’s mustaches quivered more and more quickly, and he repeated a number of times—
“Quiet, Basia, quiet.” Then at last he said, to calm the woman loved above all—
“And do you remember that when the Lord God brought you back to me, I said thus, ‘Whatever return is proper, O Lord God, I promise Thee. After the war, if I am alive, I will build a chapel; but during the war I must do something noteworthy, so as not to feed Thee with ingratitude’? What is a castle? It is little for such a benefaction. The time has come. Is it proper that the Saviour should say to Himself, ‘His promise is a plaything’? May the stones of the castle crush me before I break my word of a cavalier, given to God. It is necessary, Basia; and that is the whole thing. Let us trust in God, Basia.”
LII
That day Pan Michael went out with squadrons to assist Pan Vasilkovski, who had hastened on toward Hrynchuk, for news came that the Tartars had made an attack there, binding people, taking cattle, but not burning villages, so as not to rouse attention. Pan Vasilkovski soon scattered them, rescued the captives, and took prisoners. Pan Michael led these prisoners to Jvanyets, commissioning Pan Makovetski to torture them, and write down in order their confessions, so as to forward them to the hetman and the king. The Tartars confessed that, at command of the perkulab, they had crossed the boundary with Captain Styngan and Wallachians; but though burnt, they could not tell how far away the Sultan was at that time with all his forces, for, advancing in irregular bands, they did not maintain connection with the main army.
All, however, were at one in the statement that the Sultan had moved in force, that he was marching to the Commonwealth, and would be at Kamenyets soon. For the future defenders of Kamenyets there was nothing new in these confessions; but since in the king’s palace they did not believe that there would be war, the chamberlain determined to send these prisoners, together with their statements, to Warsaw.
The scouting parties returned
