ducats for it. I have a feather from a wing of the Archangel Gabriel, who dropped it during the Annunciation; I have two heads of quails sent to the Israelites in the wilderness; I have oil in which pagans wished to boil Saint John, and a round from the ladder which Jacob saw in his vision. I have tears dropped by Mary of Egypt, and some rust from the keys of Saint Peter. I cannot mention all, because I am chilled, and your attendant, lord, would not give me wine; and moreover I could not name them all between this time and evening."
"Those relics are great if they are genuine," said Zbyshko.
"If they are genuine? Take the lance from the hand of that attendant and plant it before you, for the devil is near who gives you such ideas. Keep him, O lord, at the length of the lance. And if you will not bring misfortune on yourself buy of me an indulgence for that sin; unless you do, the one whom you love most on earth will die in three weeks."
Zbyshko was terrified at the threat, for Danusia came to his mind, and he said,—
"It is not I who doubt, but the prior of Dominicans in Sieradz."
"Look yourself at the wax of the seals; as to the prior, God knows if he is alive yet, for Divine justice is swift."
But when they arrived at Sieradz it appeared that the prior was alive. Zbyshko even betook himself to him to give for two masses, one of which was to be offered for the benefit of Matsko, the other on account of those peacock-plumes for which Zbyshko was going. The prior, like many in Poland at that time, was a foreigner, from Tsylia by origin, but during fourteen years' residence in Sieradz he had learned Polish well, and was a great enemy of the Knights of the Cross. When he heard, therefore, of Zbyshko's undertaking, he said: "A greater punishment of the Lord will meet them yet, but I will not dissuade thee from what thou hast intended; first, because thou hast taken an oath, and, second, because a Polish hand can never squeeze them sufficiently for what they did here in Sieradz."
"What did they do?" inquired Zbyshko, who was glad to hear of every injustice committed by the Knights of the Cross.
Here the old prior spread apart his hands and began to repeat audibly "Eternal rest;" then he sat on a bench, and kept his eyes closed for a while, as if to summon old memories.
