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"They did not remain alone; and even if they had remained by themselves the master was then so feeble that he could not even eat without assistance. And there were already people sent by Jurand waiting for the young lady, and she left the following morning...." "Then Zbyszko has not seen her since?" "No human eye has seen her." Then silence reigned for a while.
Zbyszko again sat on the bed and the princess, Danusia and Father Wyszoniek sat round it and began to plan how they should act. They decided to keep it secret so that not a soul in the house should know anything about it; they also decided that Jurand must not know until the princess herself told him in Ciechanow about everything.
But immediately after saying this, he looked sharply at the knight, as if to convince himself that nothing bad would happen to him for the words which he had heedlessly let slip and said: "You, lord, speak our language; you are no German?" "No," replied Jurand; "but lead on." The peasant arose, and again began to walk beside the horse.
Brother Jurand!... God tried you.... But you are now among your own.... Good people brought you here. Brother, dear brother, Jurand." Then he repeatedly pressed him to his breast, kissed his brow and his hollow eyes; but Jurand appeared to be stupefied and unconscious. At last he moved his left hand toward his head and brow as though wishing to dispel the cloud of sleep and stupor from his mind.
Jurand sat for awhile with his head between his hands; but finally he awakened as from a dream, and said with sadness and grief: "I like you, young man, but I cannot give her to you; she is not destined for you, my poor boy." Zbyszko hearing this, grew dumb and began to look at Jurand with wondering eyes. But Danusia came to his help.
Think, pious brother, what an uproar will arise." But Hugo von Danveld began to laugh: "You said yourself, that Shomberg poisoned or strangled Witold's whelps, and what happened to him? They will raise an uproar about anything we do; but if we sent Jurand in chains to the grand master, then it is certain that we could expect reward rather than punishment."
"Whom will God help, if not a father who seeks his daughter; if not a husband who seeks his wife? He will certainly not assist robbers." "But they captured her nevertheless," answered Jurand. "Then you will return von Bergow to them." "I shall return all they wish."
At this thought Zbyszko could not help feeling a certain sense of relief, and even gladness, when he comprehended that by reason of Jurand's death all hindrances had vanished. "Jurand was unwilling, but the Lord Jesus wants it," said the young knight to himself, "and God's will is always the strongest." Now, he had only to go to Spychow and fetch Danuska as his own and then complete the nuptials.
Zbyszko raised his youthful, perplexed face toward the moon, then again looked at Jurand and inquired: "Father!... It would be far better for them to earn men's esteem than their vengeance. Why do they commit so much wrong on all nations and all people?" But Jurand spread his hands apart as if in despair, and replied with a choked voice: "I do not know...."
Finally Zygfried said: "Jurand, the punishment which you have suffered you have deserved; but I have promised to Brother Rotgier, whom your son-in-law has killed, to place your right hand in his coffin." Diedrich, who had just got up from his last deed, bent again upon the prostrate form of Jurand, when he heard Zygfried's words.
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