"Yes, unknown," repeated Jurand, sadly, "a short time ago, the snow covered me up, and, although God saved me, I have no more my old strength…."
"Gracious God!" exclaimed Zbyszko, "something his changed within you since yesterday, and you prefer to speak of death than of Danusia. Gracious God!"
"Danusia will return, she will," replied Jurand; "she is under God's protection. But if she returns … listen … take her to Bogdaniec and leave Spychow with Tolima…. He is a faithful man, and this is a wild neighborhood…. There they cannot capture her with a rope … there she is safer…."
"Hej!" cried Zbyszko, "and you talk already as if from the other world.
What is that?"
"Because I went half-way to the other world, and now I seem to be ill. And I also care for my child … because I have only her. And, you too, although I know that you love her…."
Here he interrupted, and drawing a short weapon from its sheath, called the misericordia, he held the handle toward Zbyszko.
"Swear to me now upon this little cross that you will never harm her and that you will love her constantly…."
And tears suddenly started in Zbyszko's eyes; in a moment he fell upon his knees and, putting a finger on the hilt, exclaimed:
"Upon the Holy Passion, I will never harm, and will love her constantly!"
"Amen," said Father Kaleb.