“Not a living soul, except the land infantry. And, besides, the harvest is near. A good manager will not leave home at such a season.”
“What do you tell me?”
“But the Swedes will not run away, they will only come nearer,” repeated the captain.
The pock-pitted face of the voevoda grew suddenly purple. “What are the Swedes to me? But this will be a shame for me in the presence of the other lords if I am here alone like a finger.”
Pan Stanislav laughed again: “Your grace will permit me to remark,” said he, “that the Swedes are the main thing here, and shame afterward. Besides, there will be no shame; for not only the nobles of Kalisk, but all other nobles, are absent.”
“They have run mad!” exclaimed Grudzinski.
“No; but they are sure of this,—if they will not go to the Swedes, the Swedes will not fail to come to them.”
“Wait!” said the voevoda. And clapping his hands for an attendant, he gave command to bring ink, pen, and paper; then he sat down and began to write. In half an hour he had covered the paper; he struck it with his hand, and said,—
“I will send another call for them to be here at the latest pro die 27 praesentis (on the 27th of the present month), and I think that surely they will wish at this last date non deesse patriæ (not to fail the country). And now tell me have you any news of the enemy?”
“We have. Wittemberg is mustering his troops on the fields at Dama.”