CHAPTER XIV
Martsian had determined indeed to tell Panna Anulka that she mustalways consider Belchantska as her own, but he deferred thisinformation till after the funeral; he wished first to talk with hisfather, who, because of the legal actions on which he had been workingall his lifetime, was skilled in law, and was able to avoid in advancemany troubles. Both were convinced that their cause was a good one; sothe next day, just at the moment when men were placing Pan Gideon inhis coffin, they shut themselves up in a side chamber and began withgood courage to take counsel.
"Providence is above us," said the old man, "nothing but Providence, towhich Pan Gideon will answer seriously for the injustice which heintended to do us."
"Well, let him answer," replied Martsian. "It is our happiness that heonly intended and did not succeed, for now we will take everything. TheSulgostovskis have quarrelled with me already, but I will tear thesouls out of those wretches before I let them have even one field ofBelchantska."
"Ha, the scoundrels! the sons of a such a one! God twist them! I haveno fear of such people, I fear only a will. Hast thou asked theprelate? If any one knows of a will it is he."
"I had no chance yesterday, for he attacked me when quarrelling withthe Sulgostovskis and said to us: 'The dead man is not cold yet,' thenhe went for a coffin and a priest, and to-day there has been noopportunity."
"But if Pan Gideon has willed all to that girl?"
"He had not the right, for this estate belonged to his late wife, ournearest relative."
"But a will has been mentioned, and there will be costs and going totribunals, and God knows what more in addition."
"Father is accustomed to lawsuits. But I have fixed in my headsomething of such sort that there will be no need of lawsuits;meanwhile _beatus qui tenet_" (happy is the man in possession); "forthis reason I shall not leave Belchantska. I have sent for our servantsalready. Let the Sulgostovskis or the Zabierzovskis drive me outlater."
"But the girl, if it is willed to her?"
"Who will take her side? She is as much alone in this world as afinger; she has no relatives, no friends--an ordinary orphan. Who willwish to expose his neck for her, lay himself open to quarrels, duels,expenses? How does she concern any one? Tachevski was in love with her,but Tachevski is gone, he may never come back, and if he should he hasnothing; he knows as much as my horse about lawsuits. To tell thetruth, the position is such that if not Pan Gideon, but her own father,had left her Belchantska, we might come in here and manage in our ownway, under pretext of guarding the orphan. I think that Pan Gideonintended to make a will only in the contract of marriage, so either nowill at all will be found, or if it be found it will be some old onewith a clause for Panna Anulka from her guardian."
"We can break such a will," said the old man, "my head on that! Thougha lawsuit will not be avoided."
"How so? I hear father's words, but I think it will be avoided."
"If, for speaking between us, Pan Gideon's wife was weak-minded, if sheleft all to her husband he had the right to leave it to whomever heselected."
Old Krepetski uttered the last words almost in a whisper, while lookingaround on all sides, though he knew that there was no one in the roomexcept him and Martsian.
"How could she leave it to him when she died suddenly?" asked Martsian.
"It was dated the year after their marriage. It is clear that PanGideon wheedled her out of it, because they inhabited perilous places,and no man could know when the Tartars might howl out his requiem. Theydrew up wills to each other in the town at Pomorani; these wills werebrought by Pan Gideon to this place. I thought to start lawsuitsagainst him at that time, but saw that I could not do so successfully.Now it is different."
"We shall succeed now without lawsuits."
"If so, all the better; but we must be ready for action."
"Ei! there is no need to be ready."
"How, then?"
"I will get on without father."
Old Pan Krepetski, on hearing this, flashed into anger.
"Thou wilt get on? What? How? But spoil not my labor. He will get on!But didst thou not advise me to leave the Silnitskis in peace touchingDranjkov? According to thee, there was no way to master them. No way?Why not? They had witnesses to swear to the land--a great thing! I mademen put earth into their boots from my courtyard. Well, and what afterthat? They went to Silnitski's land, and took no false oath when eachone of them testified: 'I swear that the land on which I am standingbelongs to Krepetski.' Thou wouldst have thought a whole year, butnever invented a reason of that kind. Thou wilt get on? Look at him!"
And he began to move his toothless jaws angrily, as if he were chewingsome substance; and his chin touched his nose, which was hooked likethe beak of some bird of prey.
"Pant out thy anger, my father, and listen," said Martsian. "Whereverit is a question of carrying on lawsuits I yield to thee always; but asto what concerns women, my experience is greater, and I trust in myselfwith more confidence."
"Is it possible?"
"Therefore, if it comes to a struggle with Parma Anulka it will not bebefore any tribunal."
"What art thou working out?"
"To divine is not difficult. Is this not my opportunity? Or wilt thoufind another such girl in this region?"
Martsian threw his head up and looked in the eyes of his father. Thefather looked at him, too, with a glance of inquiry, chewed with hisgums, and then asked,--
"How is it, pray tell me."
"Why not tell? Since yesterday it is circling through my head."
"Hm! Why not? Because she is as needy as Lazarus."
"But I will come into Belchantska with songs, and unhindered. She isindigent, but the girl is of great blood. And remember the words of PanGideon, that if one were to look through the papers of the Sieninskis,it would be possible to drive from their land one-half of theinhabitants of a province. The Sobieskis grew great from them, hencethere should be royal protection. The king himself ought to think of aprovision. And the girl has pleased my eye this long time, for she is adainty morsel--dainty! oh dainty!"
And he sprang about on his short legs, licking his mustache as he didso; wherewith he looked so revolting that old Krepetski remarked tohim,--
"She will not want thee."
"And she wanted old Pan Gideon. Are the girls few who have wanted me? Agreat many young men have gone to the army; so we may buy girls by thebundle, like shoe-nails. Old Pan Gideon knew why he sent me from themansion. He would not have done so, had he himself not been looking atPanna Anulka."
"But supposing that she will not want thee--then what?"
Evil gleams shone from the eyes of Martsian.
"Then," replied he, with emphasis, "it is possible so to act with agirl who has no protection, that she herself will beg thee to go to thechurch with her."
The old man was frightened at these words.
"Ah!" said he. "But dost thou not know that act to be criminal?"
"I know that no one would take the part of Panna Anulka."
"But I say to thee, have a care! As it is there are voices againstthee. If a man win or lose a lawsuit for property he will not becomeinfamous, but thy thought is of crime--dost understand me?"
"Oh, it will not go to that unless she herself wants it. But do nothinder, only act as I tell thee. After the funeral let father takeTekla home with him, and if there is any excuse also old PaniVinnitski. I will stay with the girls, with Agneshka and Johanna. Theyare reptiles, raging at any woman who is younger and comelier than theyare. They began yesterday to point their stings at the orphan, but whatwill they do when living under one roof with her? They will stab, andbite, and insult her, refuse her the bread of compassion. I see this,as if I were reading it in a book, and it is all as water to my mill."
"What wilt thou grind with it?"
"What will I grind? This: that I will quarrel with those serpents. Iwill invent something against them; I will give one a slap in the facewhen it ple
ases me, then the orphan will kiss me on the hands, on theknees. 'I am thy defender, thy brother, thy true friend,' I will say toher, 'thou art here the real mistress.' And dost thou think, father,that the heart in her will not soften, that she will not fall in lovewith him who will be a shield and defence to her, who will wipe awayher tears, who will watch day and night over her? And if in her sorrowand abandonment and tears she comes to some extraordinary confidence,so much the better! so much the better! so much the better!"
Here Martsian rubbed his hands and so exhibited his goat eyes to hisfather that the old man had to spit in abhorrence. "Tfu! Pagan!"exclaimed he. "There is always one thing in thy mind."
"Indeed ants walk on me when I look at her. It wasn't for nothing thatPan Gideon drove me from the mansion."
A moment of silence now followed.
"Then thou wilt tell Johanna and Agneshka to act as thou wishest?"
"There is no need to say anything to them or to teach them; theirnature suffices. Tekla alone is a dove, they are kites, the twoothers."
Martsian had not deceived himself, his sisters had begun, each in herown way to take charge of Anulka. Tekla took her every little while inher arms and wept with her, Agneshka and Johanna solaced her, but inanother fashion,--
"What did not happen, did not happen," said Agneshka, "but be at rest,thou wilt not be our aunt, because the Lord was not willing, but no onehere will harm thee, or grudge thee a morsel."
"And no one will drive thee to work," said the other, "for we know thatthou art not used to it; when thou hast recovered, if thou thyselfwish, then that is different; in every case wait till thy sorrow isover, for indeed great misfortune has struck thee. Thou wert to bemistress here, thou wert to have thy husband, and now except us thouhast no one. But believe that though we are not relatives we will be tothee as if relatives. Be reconciled to the will of God. The Lord hastried thee, but for that cause he pardons thee other sins. For if thou,perhaps, hast trusted too much in thy beauty, or didst desire wealthand rich clothing (we are all sinful for that matter, therefore I onlysay this), that will be accounted to thee against other sins."
"Amen," said Agneshka. "Give to the church for the soul of the dead mansome ornament, or some little jewel, for thou hast no need of bridalrobes now, and we will ask father to permit thee to do this."
Then they looked with sharp eyes at the robes on the table, and at thechests in which lay the trousseau. Such a desire at last seized them tosee what was hidden that Johanna burst out with these words,--
"Perhaps we might help thee in selecting?"
And both rushed at the chests, boxes, and bundles, in which were stilllying unpacked the robes brought from Radom, and out with them, to beopened and examined before the light, and under the light, and then thetwo girls began to try them on their own persons.
Panna Anulka sat, as if stunned, in the arms of the dear Tekla, seeingnothing, knowing nothing of what they were doing to her and around her.