"To church, at this hour of the night?"
"Yes. We wish—one and all here present—to take the oath of blood against the murderer."
"But, my children, think of what you are asking of me. Our religion commands us to forgive our enemies. Christ——"
"We are Slavs, Danilo Kvekvic," said one of the men.
"But Christians, withal, I hope?"
"Still, vengeance with us is a duty, a sacred duty."
"I am the pobratim," quoth Milenko, "the brother of his choice. Did I not swear before you to avenge any injury done to Uros, your nephew? Do you wish me to forget my oath—to perjure myself?"
"Mind, it is the priest, not the uncle, who speaks," said Danilo, sternly; "therefore, remember that the karva tajstvo is illegal by the laws of our country."
"By the laws of Austria," cried out several of the men, "not by the laws of our country. We are Slavs, not Austrians."
"Come, Danilo, we are men, not children; trifling is useless, words are but lost breath in this matter," said Janko Markovic. "We are losing time."