Speaking thus he clasped the king's legs; the king began to wink his eyes, which was a sign of emotion with him; finally he said:
"It can not be! I cannot condemn to death a belted knight! It cannot be!
It cannot be!"
"And there would be no justice in it," added the castellan. "The law will crush the guilty one; but it is not a monster, which does not look to see whose blood is being shed. And you must consider what shame would fall on your family, if your nephew agreed to your proposal. It would be considered a disgrace, not only to him, but to his children also."
To this Macko replied:
"He would not agree. But if it were done without his knowledge, he would avenge me, even as I also will avenge him."
"Ha!" said Tenczynski, "persuade the Krzyzak to withdraw the complaint."
"I have asked him."
"And what?" asked the king, stretching his neck; "what did he say?"
"He answered me thus: 'You ought to have asked me for pardon on the road to Tyniec; you would not then; now I will not.'"
"And why didn't you do it?"