CHAPTER XXXIV.
Radzivill would have fallen on Podlyasye long before, had not variousreasons held him back in Kyedani. First, he was waiting for the Swedishreinforcements, which Pontus de la Gardie delayed by design. Althoughbonds of relationship connected the Swedish general with the kinghimself, he could not compare in greatness of family, in importance, inextensive connections by blood, with that Lithuanian magnate; and as tofortune, though at that time there was no ready money in Radzivill'streasury, all the Swedish generals might have been portioned with onehalf of the prince's estates and consider themselves wealthy. Now, whenby the turn of fortune Radzivill was dependent on Pontus, the generalcould not deny himself the pleasure of making that lord feel hisdependence and the superiority of De la Gardie.
Radzivill did not need reinforcements to defeat the confederates, sincefor that he had forces enough of his own; but the Swedes were necessaryto him for the reasons mentioned by Kmita in his letter to Volodyovski.He was shut off from Podlyasye by the legions of Hovanski, who mightblock the road to him; but if Radzivill marched together with Swedishtroops, and under the aegis of the King of Sweden, every hostile step onthe part of Hovanski would be considered a challenge to Karl Gustav.Radzivill wished this in his soul, and therefore he waited impatientlyfor the arrival of even one Swedish squadron, and while urging Pontushe said more than once to his attendants,--
"A couple of years ago he would have thought it a favor to receive aletter from me, and would have left the letter by will to hisdescendants; but to-day he takes on the airs of a superior."
To which a certain noble, loud-mouthed and truth-telling, known in thewhole neighborhood, allowed himself to answer at once,--
"According to the proverb, mighty prince, 'As a man makes his bed, somust he sleep on it.'"
Radzivill burst out in anger, and gave orders to cast the noble intothe tower; but on the following day he let him out and presented himwith a gold button; for of this noble it was said that he had readymoney, and the prince wanted to borrow money of him on his note. Thenoble accepted the button, but gave not the money.
Swedish reinforcements came at last, to the number of eight hundredhorse, of the heavy cavalry. Pontus sent directly to the castle ofTykotsin three hundred infantry and one hundred light cavalry, wishingto have his own garrison there in every event.
Hovanski's troops withdrew before them, making no opposition; theyarrived therefore safely at Tykotsin, for this took place when theconfederate squadrons were still scattered over all Podlyasye, and wereoccupied only in plundering the estates of Radzivill.
It was hoped that the prince, after he had received the desiredreinforcements, would take the field at once; but he loitered yet. Thecause of this was news from Podlyasye of disagreement in that province;of lack of union among the confederates, and misunderstandings betweenKotovski, Lipnitski, and Yakub Kmita.
"It is necessary to give them time," said the prince, "to seize oneanother by the heads. They will gnaw one another to pieces; their powerwill disappear without war; and then we will strike on Hovanski."
But on a sudden contradictory news began to come; the colonels not onlydid not fight with one another, but had assembled in one body atByalystok. The prince searched his brain for the cause of this change.At last the name of Zagloba, as commander, came to his ears. He wasinformed also of the making of a fortified camp, the provisioning ofthe army, and the cannon dug out at Byalystok by Zagloba, of theincrease of confederate strength, of volunteers coming from theinterior. Prince Yanush fell into such wrath that Ganhoff, a fearlesssoldier, dared not approach him for some time.
At last the command was issued to the squadrons to prepare for theroad. In one day a whole division was ready,--one regiment of Germaninfantry, two of Scottish, one of Lithuanian. Pan Korf led theartillery; Ganhoff took command of the cavalry. Besides, Kharlamp'sdragoons, the Swedish cavalry, and the light regiment of Nyevyarovski,there was the princess own heavy squadron, in which Slizyen waslieutenant. It was a considerable force, and composed of veterans. Witha force no greater the prince, during the first wars with Hmelnitski,had won those victories which had adorned his name with immortal glory;with a power no greater he had beaten Nebaba at Loyovo, crushed anumber of tens of thousands led by the famous Krechovski, destroyedMozyr and Turoff, had taken Kieff by storm, and so pushed Hmelnitski inthe steppes that he was forced to seek safety in negotiations.
But the star of that powerful warrior was evidently setting, and he hadno good forebodings himself. He cast his eyes into the future, and sawnothing clearly. He would go to Podlyasye, tear apart with horses theinsurgents, give orders to pull out of his skin the hated Zagloba,--andwhat would come of that? What further? What change of fate would come?Would he then strike Hovanski, would he avenge the defeat at Tsibyhova,and adorn his own head with new laurels? The prince said that he would,but he doubted, for just then reports began to circulate widely thatthe Northerners, fearing the growth of Swedish power, would cease towage war, and might even form an alliance with Yan Kazimir. Sapyehacontinued to pluck them still, and defeated them where he could; but atthe same time he negotiated with them. Pan Gosyevski had the sameplans.
Then in case of Hovanski's retreat that field of action would beclosed, and the last chance of showing his power would vanish fromRadzivill; or if Yan Kazimir could make a treaty with those who tillthen had been his enemies, and urge them against the Swedes, fortunemight incline to his side against Sweden, and thereby againstRadzivill.
From Poland there came, it is true, the most favorable news. Thesuccess of the Swedes surpassed all expectation. Provinces yielded oneafter another; in Great Poland Swedes ruled as in Sweden; in Warsaw,Radzeyovski governed; Little Poland offered no resistance; Cracow mightfall at any moment; the king, deserted by the army and the nobles, withconfidence in his people broken to the core, went to Silesia; and KarlGustav himself was astonished at the ease with which he had crushedthat power, always victorious hitherto in war with the Swedes.
But just in that ease had Radzivill a foreboding of danger to himself;for the Swedes, blinded by triumph, would not count with him, would notconsider him, especially because he had not shown himself so powerfuland so commanding as all, not excepting himself, had thought him.
Will the Swedish King give him then Lithuania, or even White Russia?Will he not prefer to pacify an eternally hungry neighbor with someeastern slice of the Commonwealth, so as to have his own hands free inthe remnants of Poland?
These were the questions which tormented continually the soul of PrinceYanush. Days and nights did he pass in disquiet. He conceived thatPontus de la Gardie would not have dared to treat him so haughtily,almost insultingly, had he not thought that the king would confirm sucha manner of action, or what is worse, had not his instructions beenpreviously prepared.
"As long as I am at the head of some thousands of men," thoughtRadzivill, "they will consider me; but when money fails, when my hiredregiments scatter, what then?"
And the revenues from his enormous estates did not come in. An immensepart of them, scattered throughout Lithuania and far away to Polesie orKieff, lay in ruins; those in Podlyasye the confederates had plunderedcompletely. At times it seemed to the prince that he would topple overthe precipice; that from all his labor and plotting only the nametraitor would remain to him,--nothing more.
Another phantom terrified him--the phantom of death, which appearedalmost every night before the curtain of his bed, and beckoned with itshand, as if wishing to say to him, "Come into darkness, cross theunknown river."
Had he been able to stand on the summit of glory, had he been able toplace on his head, even for one day, for one hour, that crown desiredwith such passion, he might meet that awful and silent phantom withunterrified eye. But to die and leave behind evil fame and the scorn ofmen, seemed to that lord, who was as proud as Satan himself, a hellduring life.
Alone than once then, when he was alone or with his astrologer, in whomhe placed the greatest
trust, did he seize his temples and repeat withstifled voice,--
"I am burning, burning, burning!"
Under these conditions he was preparing for the campaign againstPodlyasye, when the day before the march it was announced that PrinceBoguslav had left Taurogi.
At the mere news of this, Prince Yanush, even before he saw his cousin,revived as it were; for that Boguslav brought with him his youth and ablind faith in the future. In him the line of Birji was to be renewed,for him alone was Prince Yanush toiling.
When he heard that Boguslav was coming, the hetman wished to go out tomeet him, but etiquette did not permit him to go forth to meet ayounger cousin; he sent therefore a gilded carriage, and a wholesquadron as escort, and from the breastworks raised by Kmita and fromthe castle itself mortars were fired at his command, just as at thecoming of a king.
When the cousins, after a ceremonial greeting, were left alone at last,Yanush seized Boguslav in his embrace and began to repeat, with a voiceof emotion,--
"My youth has returned! My health has returned in a moment!"
But Boguslav looked at him carefully and asked,--
"What troubles your highness?"
"Let us not give ourselves titles if no one obeys us. What troubles me?Sickness irritates me so that I am falling like a rotten tree. But atruce to this! How is my wife and Maryska?"
"They have gone from Taurogi to Tyltsa. They are both well, and Marieis like a rosebud; that will be a wonderful rose when it blooms. _Mafoi!_ more beautiful feet there are not in the world, and her tressesflow to the very ground."
"Did she seem so beautiful to you? That is well. God inspired you tocome; I feel better in spirit when I see you. But what do you bringtouching public affairs? 'What is the elector doing?"
"You know that he has made a league with the Prussian towns?"
"I know."
"But they do not trust him greatly. Dantzig will not receive hisgarrisons. The Germans have a good sniff."
"I know that too. But have you not written to him? What are his planstouching us?"
"Touching us?" repeated Boguslav, inattentively.
He cast his eyes around the room, then rose. Prince Yanush thought thathe was looking for something; but he hurried to a mirror in the corner,and withdrawing a proper distance, rubbed his whole face with a fingerof his right hand; at last he said,--
"My skin is chapped a little from the journey, but before morning itwill be healed. What are the elector's plans touching us? Nothing; hewrote to me that he will not forget us."
"What does that mean?"
"I have the letter with me; I will show it to you. He writes thatwhatever may happen he will not forget us; and I believe him, for hisinterests enjoin that. The elector cares as much for the Commonwealthas I do for an old wig, and would be glad to give it to Sweden if hecould seize Prussia; but the power of Sweden begins to alarm him,therefore he would be glad to have an ally ready for the future; and hewill have one if you mount the throne of Lithuania."
"Would that had happened! Not for myself do I wish that throne!"
"All Lithuania cannot be had, perhaps, at first, but even if we get agood piece with White Russia and Jmud--"
"But what of the Swedes?"
"The Swedes will be glad also to use us as a guard against the East."
"You pour balsam on me."
"Balsam! Aha! A certain necromancer in Taurogi wanted to sell mebalsam, saying that whoever would anoint himself with it would be safefrom spears, swords, and sabres. I ordered a soldier to rub him with itat once and thrust a spear into him. Can you imagine, the spear wentright through his body."
Here Prince Boguslav laughed, showing teeth as white as ivory. But thisconversation was not to the taste of Yanush; he began again thereforeon public affairs.
"I sent letters to the King of Sweden, and to many others of ourdignitaries. You must have received a letter through Kmita."
"But wait! I was coming to that matter. What is your idea of Kmita?"
"He is hot-headed, wild, dangerous, and cannot endure restraint; but heis one of those rare men who serve us in good faith."
"Surely," answered Boguslav; "and he came near earning the kingdom ofheaven for me."
"How is that?" asked Yanush, with alarm.
"They say, lord brother, that if your bile is stirred suffocationresults. Promise me to listen with patience and quietly, and I willtell something of your Kmita, from which you will know him better thanyou have up to this moment."
"Well, I will be patient, only begin."
"A miracle of God saved me from the hands of that incarnate devil,"said Boguslav; and he began to relate all that had happened inPilvishki.
It was no smaller miracle that Prince Yanush did not have an attack ofasthma, but it might be thought that apoplexy would strike him. Hetrembled all over, he gnashed his teeth, he covered his eyes with hishand; at last he cried with a hoarse voice,--
"Is that true? Very well! He has forgotten that his little wench is inmy hands--"
"Restrain yourself, for God's sake! Hear on. I acquitted myself withhim as beseems a cavalier, and if I have not noted this adventure in mydiary, and do not boast of it, I refrain because 'tis a shame that Ilet myself be tricked by that clown, as if I were a child,--I, of whomMazarin said that in intrigue and adroitness there was not my equal inthe whole court of France. But no more of this! I thought at first thatI had killed your Kmita; now I have proof in my hands that he hasslipped away."
"That is nothing! We will find him! We will dig him out! We will gethim, even from under the earth! Meanwhile I will give him a sorer blowthan if I were to flay him alive."
"You will give him no blow, but only injure your own health. Listen! incoming hither I noticed some low fellow on a pied horse, who heldhimself at no great distance from my carriage. I noticed him speciallybecause his horse was pied, and I gave the order at last to summon him.'Where art thou going?' 'To Kyedani.' 'What art thou taking?' 'A letterto the prince voevoda.' I ordered him to give the letter, and as thereare no secrets between us I read it. Here it is!"
Then he gave Prince Yanush Kmita's letter, written from the forest atthe time when he was setting out with the Kyemliches.
The prince glanced over the letter, and crushing it with rage, cried,--
"True! in God's name, true! He has my letters, and in them are thingswhich may make the King of Sweden himself suspicious, nay more, givehim mortal offence."
Here choking seized him, and the expected attack came on. His mouthopened widely, and he gasped quickly after air; his hands tore theclothing near his throat. Prince Boguslav, seeing this, clapped hishands, and when the servants ran in, he said,--
"Save the prince your lord, and when he recovers breath beg him to cometo my chamber; meanwhile I will rest a little." And he went out.
Two hours later, Yanush, with bloodshot eyes, hanging lids, and a blueface, knocked at Prince Boguslav's chamber. Boguslav received him lyingin bed, his face rubbed with milk of almonds, which was to enhance thesoftness and freshness of his skin. Without a wig on his head, withoutthe colors on his face, and with unblackened brows, he seemed mucholder than in full dress; but Prince Yanush paid no heed to that.
"I have come to the conclusion," said he, "that Kmita will not publishthose letters, for if he should he would by that act write the sentenceof death for the maiden. He understands well that only by keeping themdoes he hold me; but I cannot pour out my vengeance, and that gnaws me,as if I were carrying about a mad dog in my breast."
"Still, it will be necessary to get those letters," said Boguslav.
"But _quo modo_ (in what way)?"
"Some adroit man must be sent after him, to enter into friendship andat a given opportunity seize the letters and punch Kmita with a knife.It is necessary to offer a great reward."
"Who here would undertake that deed?"
"If it were only in Paris, or even in Germany, I could find a hundredvolunteers in one day, but in this country such wares are not found."
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"And one of our own people is needed, for he would be on his guardagainst a stranger."
"It seems to me that I can find some one in Prussia."
"Oh, if he could be taken alive and brought to my hands, I would payhim once for all. I say that the insolence of that man passes everymeasure. I sent him away because he enraged me, for he would spring atmy throat for any reason, just like a cat; he hurled at me his ownwishes in everything. A hundred times lacking little had I the orderjust--just in my mouth to shoot him; but I could not, I could not."
"Tell me, is he really a relative of ours?
"He is a relative of the Kishkis, and through the Kishkis of us."
"In his fashion he is a devil, and an opponent dangerous in the highestdegree."
"He? You might command him to go to Tsargrad[27] and pull the Sultanfrom his throne, or tear out the beard of the King of Sweden and bringit to Kyedani. But what did he not do here in time of war?"
"He has that look, but he has promised us vengeance to the last breath.Luckily he has a lesson from me that 'tis not easy to encounter us.Acknowledge that I treated him in Radzivill fashion; if a Frenchcavalier had done a deed like mine, he would boast of it whole days,excepting the hours of sleeping, eating, and kissing; for they, whenthey meet, emulate one another in lying, so that the sun is ashamed toshine."
"It is true that you squeezed him, but I would that it had nothappened."
"And I would that you had chosen better confidants, with more respectfor the Radzivill bones."
"Those letters! those letters!"
The cousins were silent for a while. Boguslav spoke first.
"But what sort of a maiden is she?"
"Panna Billevich?"
"Billevich or Myeleshko, one is the equal of the other. I do not askfor her name, but if she is beautiful."
"I do not look on those things; but this is certain,--the Queen ofPoland need not ho ashamed of such beauty."
"The Queen of Poland? Marya Ludvika? In the time of Cinq-Mars maybe theQueen of Poland was beautiful, but now the dogs howl when they see her.If your Panna Billevich is such as she, then I'll hide myself; but ifshe is really a wonder, let me take her to Tanrogi, and there she and Iwill think out a vengeance for Kmita."
Yanush meditated a moment.
"I will not give her to you," said he at last, "for you will constrainher with violence, and then Kmita will publish the letters."
"I use force against one of your tufted larks! Without boasting I maysay that I have had affairs with not such as she, and I haveconstrained no one. Once only, but that was in Flanders,--she was afool,--the daughter of a jeweller. After me came the infantry of Spain,and the affair was accounted to them."
"You do not know this girl; she is from an honorable house, walkingvirtue, you would say a nun."
"Oh, we know the nuns too!"
"And besides she hates us, for she is a patriot. She has tried toinfluence Kmita. There are not many such among our women. Her mind ispurely that of a man; and she is the most ardent adherent of YanKazimir."
"Then we will increase his adherents."
"Impossible, for Kmita will publish the letters. I must guard her likethe eyes in my head--for a time. Afterward I will give her to you or toyour dragoons, all one to me!"
"I give my word of a cavalier that I will not constrain her; and a wordgiven in private I always keep. In politics it is another thing. Itwould be a shame for me indeed if I could gain nothing by her."
"You will not."
"In the worst case I'll get a slap in the face, and from a woman thatis no shame. You are going to Podlyasye, what will you do with her? Youwill not take her with you, you cannot leave her here; for the Swedeswill come to this place, and the girl should remain always in our handsas a hostage. Is it not better that I take her to Tanrogi and sendKmita, not an assassin, but a messenger with a letter in which I shallwrite, 'Give the letters and I'll give you the maiden.'"
"True," answered Prince Yanush; "that's a good method."
"But if," continued Boguslav, "not altogether as I took her, that willbe the first step in vengeance."
"But you have given your word not to use violence."
"I have, and I say again that it would be a shame for me--"
"Then you must take also her uncle, the sword-bearer of Rossyeni, whois staying here with her."
"I do not wish to take him. The noble in the fashion of this regionwears, of course, straw in his boots, and I cannot bear that."
"She will not go alone."
"That's to be seen. Ask them to supper this evening, so that I may seeand know whether she is worth putting between the teeth, andimmediately I'll think out methods against her. Only, for God's sake,mention not Kmita's act, for that would confirm her in devotion to him.But during supper, no matter what I say, contradict not. You will seemy methods, and they will remind you of your own years of youth."
Prince Yanush waved his hands and went out; and Boguslav put his handsunder his head, and began to meditate over means.