"What was the offence he charged you with?"
"I had crossed myself inadvertently after the old style, and he happened to see it."
The hetman flushed purple with indignation. "Is this the truth, old man?"
"The truth indeed, the Almighty is my witness."
"Have you anything to say for yourself?" he now inquired of the priest.
"Only this, that they speak falsely," returned Sanecki, with choking voice.
"Falsely!" cried Stephen, horrified. "Man, think of the Judge above!"
"Yes," said Taras quietly, "it were well he did so. However, let us hear his own witnesses."
There was a pause of silence in the chamber, the twilight of which was slowly but steadily yielding to the ruddy glow from the east, a broad stream of light flowing in through the window when Julko and Jacek returned with the other two witnesses, whom the priest had called for himself.
The men in question entered diffidently--they had not been told why they were wanted--looking aghast on learning that the priest had seen fit to appeal to them. "To us," they cried, "what could we say in his favour?"