Before the very door whence the guard had just been removed, he came upon a youth, a servant of the sword-bearer.
“Is Pan Billevich in the room?” asked he.
“The sword-bearer is among the officers in the barracks.”
“And the lady?”
“The lady is at home.”
“Tell her that Pan Kmita is going on a long journey and wishes to see the lady.”
The youth obeyed the command; but before he returned with an answer Kmita raised the latch and went in without question.
“I have come to take farewell,” said he, “for I do not know whether we shall meet again in life.”
Suddenly he turned to the youth: “Why stand here yet?”
“My gracious lady,” continued Kmita, when the door had closed after the servant, “I intended to go without parting, but had not the power. God knows when I shall return, or whether I shall return, for misfortunes come lightly. Better that we part without anger and offence in our hearts, so that the punishment of God fall not on either of us. There is much to say, much to say, and now the tongue cannot say it all. Well, there was no happiness, clearly by the will of God there was not; and now, O man, even if thou batter thy head against the wall, there is no cure! Blame me not, and I will not blame you. We need not regard that testament now, for as I have said, the will of man is nothing against the will of God. God grant you happiness and peace. The main thing is that we forgive each other. I know not what will meet me outside, whither I am going. But I cannot sit longer in torture, in trouble, in sorrow. A man breaks himself on the four walls of a room without result, gracious lady, without result! One has no labor here,—only to take grief on the shoulders, only think for whole days of unhappy events till the head aches, and in the end think out nothing. This journey is as needful to me, as water to a fish, as air to a bird, for without it I should go wild.”