"But he is better already. In a week or two he will be well. What is to be heard de publicis?"
"Evil in the old fashion. The under-treasurer, Pan Gosyevski, the full hetman, is ever quarrelling with the prince; and as the hetmans do not agree, affairs do not move in harmony. Still we have improved a little, and I think that if we had concord we might manage the enemy. God will permit us yet to ride on their necks to their own land. Gosyevski is to blame for all."
"But others say it is specially the grand hetman, Prince Radzivill."
"They are traitors. The voevoda of Vityebsk talks that way, for he and the under-treasurer are cronies this long time."
"The voevoda of Vityebsk is a worthy citizen."
"Are you on the side of Sapyeha against the Radzivills?"
"I am on the side of the country, on whose side all should be. In this is the evil, — that even soldiers are divided into parties, instead of lighting. That Sapyeha is a worthy citizen, I would say in the presence of the prince himself, even though I serve under him."
"Good people have striven to bring about harmony, but with no result," said Kharlamp. "There is a terrible movement of messengers from the king to our prince. They say that something is hatching. We expected with the visit of the king a call of the general militia; it has not come! They say that it may be necessary in some places."
"In the Ukraine, for instance."
"I know. But once Lieutenant Brohvich told what he heard with his own ears. Tyzenhauz came from the king to our hetman, and when they had shut themselves in they talked a long time about something which Brohvich could not overhear; but when they came out, with his own ears he heard the hetman say, 'From this a new war may come.' We racked our heads greatly to find what this could mean."
"Surely he was mistaken. With whom could there be a new war? The emperor is more friendly to us now than to our enemies, since it is proper for him to take the side of a civilized people. With the Swedes the truce is not yet at an end, and will not be for six years; the Tartars are helping us in the Ukraine, which they would not do without the will of Turkey."
"Well, we could not get at anything."
