“He has that look, but he has promised us vengeance to the last breath. Luckily he has a lesson from me that ’tis not easy to encounter us. Acknowledge that I treated him in Radzivill fashion; if a French cavalier had done a deed like mine, he would boast of it whole days, excepting the hours of sleeping, eating, and kissing; for they, when they meet, emulate one another in lying, so that the sun is ashamed to shine.”
“It is true that you squeezed him, but I would that it had not happened.”
“And I would that you had chosen better confidants, with more respect for the Radzivill bones.”
“Those letters! those letters!”
The cousins were silent for a while. Boguslav spoke first.
“But what sort of a maiden is she?”
“Panna Billevich?”
“Billevich or Myeleshko, one is the equal of the other. I do not ask for her name, but if she is beautiful.”
“I do not look on those things; but this is certain—the Queen of Poland need not be ashamed of such beauty.”
“The Queen of Poland? Marya Ludvika? In the time of Cinq-Mars maybe the Queen of Poland was beautiful, but now the dogs howl when they see her. If your Panna Billevich is such as she, then I’ll hide myself; but if she is really a wonder, let me take her to Tanrogi, and there she and I will think out a vengeance for Kmita.”
Yanush meditated a moment.
“I will not give her to you,” said he at last, “for you will constrain her with violence, and then Kmita will publish the letters.”
“I use force against one of your tufted larks! Without boasting I may say that I have had affairs with not such as she, and I have constrained no one. Once only, but that was in Flanders—she was a fool—the daughter of a jeweller. After me came the infantry of Spain, and the affair was accounted to them.”
“You do not know this girl; she is from an honorable house, walking virtue, you would say a nun.”
“Oh, we know the nuns too!”
“And besides she hates us, for she is a patriot. She has tried to influence Kmita. There are not many such among our women. Her mind is purely that of a man; and she is the most ardent adherent of Yan Kazimir.”
“Then we will increase his adherents.”
“Impossible, for Kmita will publish the letters. I must guard her like the eyes in my head—for a time. Afterward I will give her to you or to your dragoons, all one to me!”
“I give my word of a cavalier that I will not constrain her; and a word given in private I always keep. In politics it is another thing. It would be a shame for me indeed if I could gain nothing by her.”
“You will not.”
“In the worst case I’ll get a slap in the face, and from a woman that is no shame. You are going to Podlyasye, what will you do with her? You will not take her with you, you cannot leave her here; for the Swedes will come to this place, and the girl should remain always in our hands as a hostage. Is it not better that I take her to Tanrogi and send Kmita, not an assassin, but a messenger with a letter in which I shall write, ‘Give the letters and I’ll give you the maiden.’ ”
“True,” answered Prince Yanush; “that’s a good method.”
“But if,” continued Boguslav, “not altogether as I took her, that will be the first step in vengeance.”
“But you have given your word not to use violence.”
“I have, and I say again that it would be a shame for me—”
“Then you must take also her uncle, the sword-bearer of Rossyeni, who is staying here with her.”
“I do not wish to take him. The noble in the fashion of this region wears, of course, straw in his boots, and I cannot bear that.”
“She will not go alone.”
“That’s to be seen. Ask them to supper this evening, so that I may see and know whether she is worth putting between the teeth, and immediately I’ll think out methods against her. Only, for God’s sake, mention not Kmita’s act, for that would confirm her in devotion to him. But during supper, no matter what I say, contradict not. You will see my methods, and they will remind you of your own years of youth.”
Prince Yanush waved his hands and went out; and Boguslav put his hands under his head, and began to meditate over means.
XXXV
To the supper, besides the sword-bearer of Rossyeni and Olenka, were invited the most distinguished officers of Kyedani and some attendants of Prince Boguslav. He came himself in such array and so lordly that he attracted all eyes. His wig was dressed in beautiful waving curls; his face in delicacy of color called to mind milk and roses; his small mustache seemed to be of silken hair, and his eyes stars. He was dressed in black, in a kaftan made of stripes of silk and velvet, the sleeves of which were slashed and fastened together the length of the arm. Around his neck he had a broad collar, of the most marvellous Brabant lace, of inestimable value, and at the wrists ruffles of the same material. A gold chain fell on his breast, and over the right shoulder along the whole kaftan went to his left hip a sword-strap of Dutch leather, so set with diamonds that it looked like a strip of changing light. The hilt of his sword glittered in like manner, and in his shoe-buckles gleamed the two largest diamonds, as large as hazelnuts. The whole figure seemed imposing, and as noble as it was beautiful.
In one hand he held a lace handkerchief; in the other he carried, according to the fashion of the time, on his sword-hilt, a hat adorned with curling black ostrich feathers of uncommon length.
All, not excepting Prince Yanush, looked
