Here he stopped awhile, then thought further thuswise: “Through which declaration the confidence of today will become quite proper, and tomorrow I can permit myself—” But at this moment he struck his mouth with his palm. “Tfu!” said he; “is a whole chambul of devils sitting behind my collar?”
But still he did not set aside his plan of making the declaration, thinking to himself simply: “If I offend the dear dead one, I can conciliate her with Masses and prayer; by this I shall show also that I remember her always, and will not cease in devotion. If people wonder and laugh at me because two weeks ago I wanted from sorrow to be a monk, and now have made a declaration of love to another, the shame will be on my side alone. If I make no declaration, the innocent Krysia will have to share my shame and my fault. I will propose to her tomorrow; it cannot be otherwise,” said he, at last.
He calmed himself then considerably; and when he had repeated “Our Father,” and prayed earnestly for Anusia, he fell asleep. In the morning, when he woke, he repeated, “I will propose today.” But it was not so easy to propose, for Pan Michael did not wish to inform others, but to talk with Krysia first, and then act as was proper. Meanwhile Pan Adam arrived in the early morning, and filled the whole house with his presence.
Krysia went about as if poisoned; the whole day she was pale, worried, sometimes dropped her eyes, sometimes blushed so that the color went to her neck; at times her lips quivered as if she were going to cry; then again she was as if dreamy and languid. It was difficult for the knight to approach her, and especially to remain long alone with her. It is true he might have taken her to walk, for the weather was wonderful, and some time before he would have done so without any scruple; but now he dared not, for it seemed to him that all would divine on the spot what his object was—all would think he was going to propose.
Pan Adam saved him. He took Pani Makovetski aside, conversed with her a good while touching something, then both returned to the room in which the little knight was sitting with the two young ladies and Pan Zagloba, and said, “You young people might have a ride in two sleighs, for the snow is sparkling.”
At this Pan Michael inclined quickly to Krysia’s ear and said, “I beg you to sit with me. I have a world of things to say.”
“Very well,” answered Krysia.
Then the two men hastened to the stables, followed by Basia; and in the space of a few “Our Fathers,” the two sleighs were driven up before the house. Pan Michael and Krysia took their places in one. Pan Adam and the little haiduk in the other, and moved on without drivers.
When they had gone, Pani Makovetski turned to Zagloba and said, “Pan Adam has proposed for Basia.”
“How is that?” asked Zagloba, alarmed.
“His godmother, the wife of the chamberlain of Lvoff, is to come here tomorrow to talk with me; Pan Adam himself has begged of me permission to talk with Basia, even hintingly, for he understands himself that if Basia is not his friend, the trouble and pains will be useless.”
“It was for this that you, my benefactress, sent them sleigh-riding?”
“For this. My husband is very scrupulous. More than once he has said to me, ‘I will guard their property, but let each choose a husband for herself; if he is honorable, I will not oppose, even in case of inequality of property.’ Moreover, they are of mature years and can give advice to themselves.”
“But what answer do you think of giving Pan Adam’s godmother?”
“My husband will come in May. I will turn the affair over to him; but I think this way—as Basia wishes, so will it be.”
“Pan Adam is a stripling!”
“But Michael himself says that he is a famous soldier, noted already for deeds of valor. He has a respectable property, and his godmother has recounted to me all his relations. You see, it is this way: his great-grandfather was born of Princess Senyut; he was married the first time to—”
“But what do I care for his relations?” interrupted Zagloba, not hiding his ill-humor; “he is neither brother nor godfather to me, and I tell your ladyship that I have predestined the little haiduk to Michael; for if among maidens who walk the world on two feet there is one better or more honest than she, may I from this moment begin to walk on all-four like a bear!”
“Michael is thinking of nothing yet; and even if he were, Krysia has struck his eye more. Ah! God, whose ways are inscrutable, will decide this.”
“But if that bare-lipped youngster goes away with a watermelon,12 I shall be drunk with delight,” added Zagloba.
Meanwhile in the two sleighs the fates of both knights were in the balance. Pan Michael was unable to utter a word for a long time; at last he said to Krysia, “Do not think that I am a frivolous man, or some kind of fop, for not such are my years.”
Krysia made no answer.
“Forgive me for what I did yesterday, for it was from the good feeling which I have for you, which is so great that I was altogether unable to restrain it. My gracious lady, my beloved Krysia, consider who I
