Martsian had determined indeed to tell Panna Anulka that she must
always consider Belchantska as her own, but he deferred this
information till after the funeral; he wished first to talk with his
father, who, because of the legal actions on which he had been working
all his lifetime, was skilled in law, and was able to avoid in advance
many troubles. Both were convinced that their cause was a good one; so
the next day, just at the moment when men were placing Pan Gideon in
his coffin, they shut themselves up in a side chamber and began with
good courage to take counsel.
"Providence is above us," said the old man, "nothing but Providence, to
which Pan Gideon will answer seriously for the injustice which he
intended to do us."
"Well, let him answer," replied Martsian. "It is our happiness that he
only intended and did not succeed, for now we will take everything. The
Sulgostovskis have quarrelled with me already, but I will tear the
souls out of those wretches before I let them have even one field of
Belchantska."
"Ha, the scoundrels! the sons of a such a one! God twist them! I have
no fear of such people, I fear only a will. Hast thou asked the
prelate? If any one knows of a will it is he."
"I had no chance yesterday, for he attacked me when quarrelling with
the Sulgostovskis and said to us: 'The dead man is not cold yet,' then
he went for a coffin and a priest, and to-day there has been no
opportunity."
"But if Pan Gideon has willed all to that girl?"
"He had not the right, for this estate belonged to his late wife, our
nearest relative."
"But a will has been mentioned, and there will be costs and going to
tribunals, and God knows what more in addition."
"Father is accustomed to lawsuits. But I have fixed in my head
something of such sort that there will be no need of lawsuits;
meanwhile _beatus qui tenet_" (happy is the man in possession); "for
this reason I shall not leave Belchantska. I have sent for our servants
already. Let the Sulgostovskis or the Zabierzovskis drive me out
later."
"But the girl, if it is willed to her?"
"Who will take her side? She is as much alone in this world as a
finger; she has no relatives, no friends--an ordinary orphan. Who will
wish 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 has
nothing; he knows as much as my horse about lawsuits. To tell the
truth, 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 own
way, under pretext of guarding the orphan. I think that Pan Gideon
intended to make a will only in the contract of marriage, so either no
will at all will be found, or if it be found it will be some old one
with a clause for Panna Anulka from her guardian."
"We can break such a will," said the old man, "my head on that! Though
a 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 she
left all to her husband he had the right to leave it to whomever he
selected."
Old Krepetski uttered the last words almost in a whisper, while looking
around on all sides, though he knew that there was no one in the room
except 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 Pan
Gideon wheedled her out of it, because they inhabited perilous places,
and no man could know when the Tartars might howl out his requiem. They
drew up wills to each other in the town at Pomorani; these wills were
brought by Pan Gideon to this place. I thought to start lawsuits
against 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 touching
Dranjkov? 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 made
men put earth into their boots from my courtyard. Well, and what after
that? They went to Silnitski's land, and took no false oath when each
one of them testified: 'I swear that the land on which I am standing
belongs to Krepetski.' Thou wouldst have thought a whole year, but
never 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 chewing
some substance; and his chin touched his nose, which was hooked like
the beak of some bird of prey.
"Pant out thy anger, my father, and listen," said Martsian. "Wherever
it is a question of carrying on lawsuits I yield to thee always; but as
to what concerns women, my experience is greater, and I trust in myself
with more confidence."
"Is it possible?"
"Therefore, if it comes to a struggle with Parma Anulka it will not be
before any tribunal."
"What art thou working out?"
"To divine is not difficult. Is this not my opportunity? Or wilt thou
find another such girl in this region?"
Martsian threw his head up and looked in the eyes of his father. The
father looked at him, too, with a glance of inquiry, chewed with his
gums, 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 is
indigent, but the girl is of great blood. And remember the words of Pan
Gideon, that if one were to look through the papers of the Sieninskis,
it would be possible to drive from their land one-half of the
inhabitants of a province. The Sobieskis grew great from them, hence
there should be royal protection. The king himself ought to think of a
provision. And the girl has pleased my eye this long time, for she is a
dainty morsel--dainty! oh dainty!"
And he sprang about on his short legs, licking his mustache as he did
so; wherewith he looked so revolting that old Krepetski remarked to
him,--
"She will not want thee."
"And she wanted old Pan Gideon. Are the girls few who have wanted me? A
great many young men have gone to the army; so we may buy girls by the
bundle, like shoe-nails. Old Pan Gideon knew why he sent me from the
mansion. He would not have done so, had he himself not been looking at
Panna 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 a
girl who has no protection, that she herself will beg thee to go to the
church 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 against
thee. If a man win or lose a lawsuit for property he will not become
infamous, but thy thought is of crime--dost understand me?"
"Oh, it will not go to that unless she herself wants it. But do not
hinder, only act as I tell thee. After the funeral let father take
Tekla home with him, and if there is any excuse also old Pani
Vinnitski. I will stay with the girls, with Agneshka and Johanna. They
are reptiles, raging at any woman who is younger and comelier than they
are. They began yesterday to point their stings at the orphan, but what
will they do when living under one roof with her? They will stab, and
bite, 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. I
will invent something against them; I will give one a slap in the face
when it pleases me, then the orphan will kiss me on the hands, on the
knees. 'I am thy defender, thy brother, thy true friend,' I will say to
her, '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 love
with him who will be a shield and defence to her, who will wipe away
her tears, who will watch day and night over her? And if in her sorrow
and 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 his
father 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 that
Pan 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; their
nature suffices. Tekla alone is a dove, they are kites, the two
others."
Martsian had not deceived himself, his sisters had begun, each in her
own way to take charge of Anulka. Tekla took her every little while in
her arms and wept with her, Agneshka and Johanna solaced her, but in
another 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 one
here will harm thee, or grudge thee a morsel."
"And no one will drive thee to work," said the other, "for we know that
thou art not used to it; when thou hast recovered, if thou thyself
wish, then that is different; in every case wait till thy sorrow is
over, for indeed great misfortune has struck thee. Thou wert to be
mistress here, thou wert to have thy husband, and now except us thou
hast no one. But believe that though we are not relatives we will be to
thee as if relatives. Be reconciled to the will of God. The Lord has
tried thee, but for that cause he pardons thee other sins. For if thou,
perhaps, hast trusted too much in thy beauty, or didst desire wealth
and rich clothing (we are all sinful for that matter, therefore I only
say this), that will be accounted to thee against other sins."
"Amen," said Agneshka. "Give to the church for the soul of the dead man
some ornament, or some little jewel, for thou hast no need of bridal
robes 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 the
chests in which lay the trousseau. Such a desire at last seized them to
see 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 still
lying unpacked the robes brought from Radom, and out with them, to be
opened and examined before the light, and under the light, and then the
two girls began to try them on their own persons.
Panna Anulka sat, as if stunned, in the arms of the dear Tekla, seeing
nothing, knowing nothing of what they were doing to her and around her.