"I had, of course, my poor dragoons,--very excellent men, but in a month they were all kicked to bits. Then I went with volunteers whom I gathered wherever I could without question. Good fellows for battle, but knave upon knave! Those who have not perished already will sooner or later be meat for the crows." Pan Andrei laughed, emptied his goblet of wine, and added: "Such plunderers you have not seen yet. May the hangman light them! Officers,--all nobles from our parts, men of family, worthy people, but against almost every one of them is a sentence of outlawry. They are now in Lyubich, for where else could I send them?" "So you have come to us with the whole squadron?" "I have. The enemy took refuge in towns, for the winter is bitter. My men too are as ragged as brooms after long sweeping. The prince voevoda assigned me winter quarters in Ponyevyej. God knows the breathing-spell is well earned!" "Eat, I beg you." "I would eat poison for your sake! I left a part of my ragged fellows in Ponyevyej, a part in Upita, and the most worthy officers I invited to Lyubich as guests. These men will come to beat to you with the forehead." "But where did the Lauda men find you?" "They found me on the way to winter quarters in Ponyevyej. Had I not met them I should have come here." "But drink." "I would drink even poison for you!" "Were the Lauda men the first to tell you of my grandfather's death and the will?" "They told of the death.--Lord, give light to the soul of my benefactor!--Did you send those men to me?" "Think not such a thing! I had nothing but mourning and prayer on my mind." "They too said the same. They are an arrogant set of homespuns. I wanted to give them a reward for their toil; instead of accepting it, they rose against me and said that the nobility of Orsha might take drink-money, but the Lauda men never. They spoke very foully to me; while listening, I thought to myself: 'If you don't want money, then I'll command to give you a hundred lashes.'" Panna Aleksandra seized her head. "Jesus Mary! and did you do that?" Kmita looked at her in astonishment. "Have no fears! I did not, though my soul revolts within me at such trashy nobility, who pretend to be the equal of us. But I thought to myself, 'They will cry me down without cause in those parts, call me tyrant, and calumniate me before you!'" "Great is your luck," said Olenka, drawing a deep breath of relief, "for I should not have been able to look you in the eyes." "But how so?" "That is a petty nobility, but ancient and renowned. My dear grandfather always loved them, and went with them to war. He served all his life with them. In time of peace he received them in his house. That is an old friendship of our family which you must respect. You have moreover a heart, and will not break that sacred harmony in which thus far we have lived."