There was again silence for a moment.
"You are a discreet armor-bearer," said Macko, at last; "but what do you think they are going to do with her?"
"Prince Witold, they say, is a powerful prince, even the German emperor bows to him; and what did they do to his children? Have they but few castles? Few underground prisons? Few wells? Few ropes and halters for the neck?"
"For the living God's sake!" exclaimed Macko.
"God grant that they may not also detain the young lord, although he went there with a letter from the prince, and accompanied by de Lorche who is a powerful lord and related to the prince. Ah, I did not want to set out for this place. But he commanded me to go. I heard him once say to the old lord of Spychow: 'It is to be regretted that you are not cunning, for I shall get nothing by craft, and with them that is a necessary thing. O Uncle Macko! he would be useful here;' and for that reason he dispatched me. But as for Jurandowna, even you, sir, will not find her, for probably she is already in the other world, and where death is concerned, even the greatest cunning cannot prevail."
Macko was absorbed in thought for a long while, after which he said:
"Ha! Then there is no counsel. Cunning cannot prevail against death. But if I were to go there and only get assurance that she has been removed, then in that case Spychow as well as Zbyszko remain. He will be able to return here and marry another maiden."
Here Macko breathed freely, as though a burden were removed from his heart, and Glowacz asked in a bashful, subdued voice:
"Do you mean the young lady of Zgorzelice?"
"Well!" replied Macko, "especially as she is an orphan, and Cztan of
Rogow and Wilk of Brzozowa continually press their court to her."