Radzivill would have fallen on Podlyasye long before, had not various
reasons held him back in Kyedani. First, he was waiting for the Swedish
reinforcements, which Pontus de la Gardie delayed by design. Although
bonds of relationship connected the Swedish general with the king
himself, he could not compare in greatness of family, in importance, in
extensive connections by blood, with that Lithuanian magnate; and as to
fortune, though at that time there was no ready money in Radzivill's
treasury, all the Swedish generals might have been portioned with one
half of the prince's estates and consider themselves wealthy. Now, when
by the turn of fortune Radzivill was dependent on Pontus, the general
could not deny himself the pleasure of making that lord feel his
dependence and the superiority of De la Gardie.
Radzivill did not need reinforcements to defeat the confederates, since
for that he had forces enough of his own; but the Swedes were necessary
to him for the reasons mentioned by Kmita in his letter to Volodyovski.
He was shut off from Podlyasye by the legions of Hovanski, who might
block the road to him; but if Radzivill marched together with Swedish
troops, and under the ægis of the King of Sweden, every hostile step on
the part of Hovanski would be considered a challenge to Karl Gustav.
Radzivill wished this in his soul, and therefore he waited impatiently
for the arrival of even one Swedish squadron, and while urging Pontus
he said more than once to his attendants,--
"A couple of years ago he would have thought it a favor to receive a
letter from me, and would have left the letter by will to his
descendants; but to-day he takes on the airs of a superior."
To which a certain noble, loud-mouthed and truth-telling, known in the
whole neighborhood, allowed himself to answer at once,--
"According to the proverb, mighty prince, 'As a man makes his bed, so
must he sleep on it.'"
Radzivill burst out in anger, and gave orders to cast the noble into
the tower; but on the following day he let him out and presented him
with a gold button; for of this noble it was said that he had ready
money, and the prince wanted to borrow money of him on his note. The
noble accepted the button, but gave not the money.
Swedish reinforcements came at last, to the number of eight hundred
horse, of the heavy cavalry. Pontus sent directly to the castle of
Tykotsin three hundred infantry and one hundred light cavalry, wishing
to have his own garrison there in every event.
Hovanski's troops withdrew before them, making no opposition; they
arrived therefore safely at Tykotsin, for this took place when the
confederate squadrons were still scattered over all Podlyasye, and were
occupied only in plundering the estates of Radzivill.
It was hoped that the prince, after he had received the desired
reinforcements, would take the field at once; but he loitered yet. The
cause of this was news from Podlyasye of disagreement in that province;
of lack of union among the confederates, and misunderstandings between
Kotovski, Lipnitski, and Yakub Kmita.
"It is necessary to give them time," said the prince, "to seize one
another by the heads. They will gnaw one another to pieces; their power
will disappear without war; and then we will strike on Hovanski."
But on a sudden contradictory news began to come; the colonels not only
did not fight with one another, but had assembled in one body at
Byalystok. The prince searched his brain for the cause of this change.
At last the name of Zagloba, as commander, came to his ears. He was
informed also of the making of a fortified camp, the provisioning of
the army, and the cannon dug out at Byalystok by Zagloba, of the
increase of confederate strength, of volunteers coming from the
interior. Prince Yanush fell into such wrath that Ganhoff, a fearless
soldier, dared not approach him for some time.
At last the command was issued to the squadrons to prepare for the
road. In one day a whole division was ready,--one regiment of German
infantry, two of Scottish, one of Lithuanian. Pan Korf led the
artillery; Ganhoff took command of the cavalry. Besides, Kharlamp's
dragoons, the Swedish cavalry, and the light regiment of Nyevyarovski,
there was the princess own heavy squadron, in which Slizyen was
lieutenant. It was a considerable force, and composed of veterans. With
a 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 a
number of tens of thousands led by the famous Krechovski, destroyed
Mozyr and Turoff, had taken Kieff by storm, and so pushed Hmelnitski in
the steppes that he was forced to seek safety in negotiations.
But the star of that powerful warrior was evidently setting, and he had
no good forebodings himself. He cast his eyes into the future, and saw
nothing clearly. He would go to Podlyasye, tear apart with horses the
insurgents, give orders to pull out of his skin the hated Zagloba,--and
what 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 that
the Northerners, fearing the growth of Swedish power, would cease to
wage war, and might even form an alliance with Yan Kazimir. Sapyeha
continued to pluck them still, and defeated them where he could; but at
the same time he negotiated with them. Pan Gosyevski had the same
plans.
Then in case of Hovanski's retreat that field of action would be
closed, and the last chance of showing his power would vanish from
Radzivill; or if Yan Kazimir could make a treaty with those who till
then had been his enemies, and urge them against the Swedes, fortune
might incline to his side against Sweden, and thereby against
Radzivill.
From Poland there came, it is true, the most favorable news. The
success of the Swedes surpassed all expectation. Provinces yielded one
after another; in Great Poland Swedes ruled as in Sweden; in Warsaw,
Radzeyovski governed; Little Poland offered no resistance; Cracow might
fall at any moment; the king, deserted by the army and the nobles, with
confidence in his people broken to the core, went to Silesia; and Karl
Gustav himself was astonished at the ease with which he had crushed
that 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 not
consider him, especially because he had not shown himself so powerful
and 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 some
eastern slice of the Commonwealth, so as to have his own hands free in
the remnants of Poland?
These were the questions which tormented continually the soul of Prince
Yanush. Days and nights did he pass in disquiet. He conceived that
Pontus de la Gardie would not have dared to treat him so haughtily,
almost insultingly, had he not thought that the king would confirm such
a manner of action, or what is worse, had not his instructions been
previously prepared.
"As long as I am at the head of some thousands of men," thought
Radzivill, "they will consider me; but when money fails, when my hired
regiments scatter, what then?"
And the revenues from his enormous estates did not come in. An immense
part of them, scattered throughout Lithuania and far away to Polesie or
Kieff, lay in ruins; those in Podlyasye the confederates had plundered
completely. At times it seemed to the prince that he would topple over
the precipice; that from all his labor and plotting only the name
traitor would remain to him,--nothing more.
Another phantom terrified him--the phantom of death, which appeared
almost every night before the curtain of his bed, and beckoned with its
hand, as if wishing to say to him, "Come into darkness, cross the
unknown river."
Had he been able to stand on the summit of glory, had he been able to
place on his head, even for one day, for one hour, that crown desired
with such passion, he might meet that awful and silent phantom with
unterrified eye. But to die and leave behind evil fame and the scorn of
men, seemed to that lord, who was as proud as Satan himself, a hell
during life.
More than once then, when he was alone or with his astrologer, in whom
he placed the greatest trust, did he seize his temples and repeat with
stifled voice,--
"I am burning, burning, burning!"
Under these conditions he was preparing for the campaign against
Podlyasye, when the day before the march it was announced that Prince
Boguslav 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 a
blind 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 to
meet him, but etiquette did not permit him to go forth to meet a
younger cousin; he sent therefore a gilded carriage, and a whole
squadron as escort, and from the breastworks raised by Kmita and from
the castle itself mortars were fired at his command, just as at the
coming 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 voice
of 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 a
truce to this! How is my wife and Maryska?"
"They have gone from Taurogi to Tyltsa. They are both well, and Marie
is like a rosebud; that will be a wonderful rose when it blooms. _Ma
foi!_ more beautiful feet there are not in the world, and her tresses
flow to the very ground."
"Did she seem so beautiful to you? That is well. God inspired you to
come; I feel better in spirit when I see you. But what do you bring
touching 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 his
garrisons. The Germans have a good sniff."
"I know that too. But have you not written to him? What are his plans
touching us?"
"Touching us?" repeated Boguslav, inattentively.
He cast his eyes around the room, then rose. Prince Yanush thought that
he was looking for something; but he hurried to a mirror in the corner,
and withdrawing a proper distance, rubbed his whole face with a finger
of his right hand; at last he said,--
"My skin is chapped a little from the journey, but before morning it
will be healed. What are the elector's plans touching us? Nothing; he
wrote 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 that
whatever may happen he will not forget us; and I believe him, for his
interests enjoin that. The elector cares as much for the Commonwealth
as I do for an old wig, and would be glad to give it to Sweden if he
could 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 he
will 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 a
good 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 me
balsam, saying that whoever would anoint himself with it would be safe
from spears, swords, and sabres. I ordered a soldier to rub him with it
at once and thrust a spear into him. Can you imagine, the spear went
right through his body."
Here Prince Boguslav laughed, showing teeth as white as ivory. But this
conversation was not to the taste of Yanush; he began again therefore
on public affairs.
"I sent letters to the King of Sweden, and to many others of our
dignitaries. 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 he
is one of those rare men who serve us in good faith."
"Surely," answered Boguslav; "and he came near earning the kingdom of
heaven for me."
"How is that?" asked Yanush, with alarm.
"They say, lord brother, that if your bile is stirred suffocation
results. Promise me to listen with patience and quietly, and I will
tell something of your Kmita, from which you will know him better than
you 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 in
Pilvishki.
It was no smaller miracle that Prince Yanush did not have an attack of
asthma, but it might be thought that apoplexy would strike him. He
trembled all over, he gnashed his teeth, he covered his eyes with his
hand; at last he cried with a hoarse voice,--
"Is that true? Very well! He has forgotten that his little wench is in
my hands--"
"Restrain yourself, for God's sake! Hear on. I acquitted myself with
him as beseems a cavalier, and if I have not noted this adventure in my
diary, and do not boast of it, I refrain because 'tis a shame that I
let myself be tricked by that clown, as if I were a child,--I, of whom
Mazarin said that in intrigue and adroitness there was not my equal in
the whole court of France. But no more of this! I thought at first that
I had killed your Kmita; now I have proof in my hands that he has
slipped away."
"That is nothing! We will find him! We will dig him out! We will get
him, even from under the earth! Meanwhile I will give him a sorer blow
than if I were to flay him alive."
"You will give him no blow, but only injure your own health. Listen! in
coming hither I noticed some low fellow on a pied horse, who held
himself at no great distance from my carriage. I noticed him specially
because 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 letter
to the prince voevoda.' I ordered him to give the letter, and as there
are no secrets between us I read it. Here it is!"
Then he gave Prince Yanush Kmita's letter, written from the forest at
the 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 things
which may make the King of Sweden himself suspicious, nay more, give
him mortal offence."
Here choking seized him, and the expected attack came on. His mouth
opened widely, and he gasped quickly after air; his hands tore the
clothing near his throat. Prince Boguslav, seeing this, clapped his
hands, and when the servants ran in, he said,--
"Save the prince your lord, and when he recovers breath beg him to come
to my chamber; meanwhile I will rest a little." And he went out.
Two hours later, Yanush, with bloodshot eyes, hanging lids, and a blue
face, knocked at Prince Boguslav's chamber. Boguslav received him lying
in bed, his face rubbed with milk of almonds, which was to enhance the
softness and freshness of his skin. Without a wig on his head, without
the colors on his face, and with unblackened brows, he seemed much
older than in full dress; but Prince Yanush paid no heed to that.
"I have come to the conclusion," said he, "that Kmita will not publish
those letters, for if he should he would by that act write the sentence
of death for the maiden. He understands well that only by keeping them
does 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 and
at 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 hundred
volunteers in one day, but in this country such wares are not found."
"And one of our own people is needed, for he would be on his guard
against 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 pay
him once for all. I say that the insolence of that man passes every
measure. I sent him away because he enraged me, for he would spring at
my throat for any reason, just like a cat; he hurled at me his own
wishes in everything. A hundred times lacking little had I the order
just--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 highest
degree."
"He? You might command him to go to Tsargrad[27] and pull the Sultan
from his throne, or tear out the beard of the King of Sweden and bring
it 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 French
cavalier had done a deed like mine, he would boast of it whole days,
excepting the hours of sleeping, eating, and kissing; for they, when
they meet, emulate one another in lying, so that the sun is ashamed to
shine."
"It is true that you squeezed him, but I would that it had not
happened."
"And I would that you had chosen better confidants, with more respect
for 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 ask
for her name, but if she is beautiful."
"I do not look on those things; but this is certain,--the Queen of
Poland need not be ashamed of such beauty."
"The Queen of Poland? Marya Ludvika? In the time of Cinq-Mars maybe the
Queen 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 if
she is really a wonder, let me take her to Tanrogi, and there she and I
will think out a vengeance for Kmita."
Yanush meditated a moment.
"I will not give her to you," said he at last, "for you will constrain
her with violence, and then Kmita will publish the letters."
"I use force against one of your tufted larks! Without boasting I may
say that I have had affairs with not such as she, and I have
constrained no one. Once only, but that was in Flanders,--she was a
fool,--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, walking
virtue, you would say a nun."
"Oh, we know the nuns too!"
"And besides she hates us, for she is a patriot. She has tried to
influence Kmita. There are not many such among our women. Her mind is
purely that of a man; and she is the most ardent adherent of Yan
Kazimir."
"Then we will increase his adherents."
"Impossible, for Kmita will publish the letters. I must guard her like
the eyes in my head--for a time. Afterward I will give her to you or to
your dragoons, all one to me!"
"I give my word of a cavalier that I will not constrain her; and a word
given in private I always keep. In politics it is another thing. It
would 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 that
is no shame. You are going to Podlyasye, what will you do with her? You
will not take her with you, you cannot leave her here; for the Swedes
will come to this place, and the girl should remain always in our hands
as a hostage. Is it not better that I take her to Tanrogi and send
Kmita, not an assassin, but a messenger with a letter in which I shall
write, '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 will
be 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, who
is staying here with her."
"I do not wish to take him. The noble in the fashion of this region
wears, 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 see
and know whether she is worth putting between the teeth, and
immediately 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 see
my methods, and they will remind you of your own years of youth."
Prince Yanush waved his hands and went out; and Boguslav put his hands
under his head, and began to meditate over means.