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However, an idea struck him, and suddenly halting before the pontnik, he gazed at him with a piercing look, and then turned to the messenger and said; "Well, I will go to Szczytno. You and this man, who is wearing pontnik garb, will remain here until my return, after which you will leave with von Bergow and the prisoners."
"Sir," he said, "that is the same woman!" "What woman?" "From the Teutons, who brought the balsam. I recognized her at once, and so did Sanderus. She came, at it seems, to spy, and she certainly knows now where the lady is." "And we shall know," said Zbyszko. "Do you also know that pontnik?" "No," replied Sanderus; "but do not buy, sir, any remissions from him, because he is a false pontnik,"
"Do you refuse, sir, to believe friars." said the pontnik; "how then can they trust you to liberate us and von Bergow on your return?" Jurand's face turned pale with fury, and a critical moment followed, in which it almost seemed that he would catch the pontnik by the throat and dash him to the floor; but he suppressed his anger, drew a deep breath and commenced to speak slowly but emphatically.
But they were frightened, standing face to face with a menacing man. Although the pontnik had an insolent face, he simply trembled like a leaf, and the woman's legs trembled also. She glanced from Jurand to Zbyszko, and then at the shining bald head of the priest Kaleb, and then again at Jurand, as if inquiring what the other two were doing there.
"What am I to do in order to get her back?" inquired Jurand. "To humble yourself before the Order!" proudly said the pontnik. At this Jurand arose, went up to him, and bending down over him, said in concentrated, terrible tones: "Be silent!" And the pontnik was again terror-stricken.
"And understand that you are in the power of the knights," remarked the pontnik. "They do not wish to do you any harm, and the starosta of Szczytno sends you his word by us that you shall go free from his castle; but they want you, for the wrong done to them, to present your respects to the Teuton, and beg for the victor's mercy.
Zbyszko did not recognize the woman, because he had not seen her at the Forest Court; the pontnik at once seemed to him to be a disguised warrior. Jurand soon led both into the neighboring room, and halted before them, huge, and almost terrible in the glow of the fire, which fell upon him from the logs burning in the chimney. "Where is the child?" he asked.
"Whoever you are, do not strain my patience to the breaking point!" But the pontnik turned to the sister: "Speak! what you were ordered." "Lord," she said: "we would not dare distrust your oath upon your sword and knightly honor, but it is not proper for you to swear before people of low rank. And we were not sent for your oath." "What were you sent for?"
The messenger continued: "You will say, that this pontnik who came with me, brought you the ransom, we also will leave here with the noble von Bergow and the prisoners." "How so?" said Jurand, frowning, "do you think that I will give up the prisoners before you return my child?" "You can act, sir, still differently.
It flashed like lightning through his head, that if he were to seize the woman and the pontnik, and take them directly to the grand master, then perhaps the master could draw confessions from them and might order the return of his daughter; but that gleam was extinguished almost as quickly as it took fire.
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