The Deluge: An Historical Novel of Poland, Sweden, and Russia. Vol. 1Sienkiewicz, Henryk
History
The Deluge: An Historical Novel of Poland, Sweden, and Russia. Vol. 1
Sienkiewicz, Henryk
Historical fiction; Poland -- History -- John II Casimir, 1648-1668 -- Fiction
Attendants, all dressed in French fashion, were hurrying about in
front of the starosta's house; there were pages in caps and feathers,
armor-bearers in velvet kaftans, and equerries in Swedish, high,
wide-legged boots.
Evidently the prince did not intend to tarry long in Pilvishki, and had
stopped only for refreshment, for the carriages were not taken to the
shed; and the equerries, in waiting, were feeding horses out of tin
sieves which they held in their hands.
Kmita announced to an officer on guard before the house who he was and
what was his mission; the officer went to inform the prince. After a
while he returned hastily, to say that the prince was anxious to see a
man sent from the hetman; and showing Kmita the way, he entered the
house with him.
After they had passed the antechamber, they found in the dining-hall a
number of attendants, with legs stretched out, slumbering sweetly in
arm-chairs; it was evident that they must have started early in the
morning from the last halting-place: The officer stopped before the
door of the next room, and bowing to Pan Andrei, said,--
"The prince is there."
Pan Andrei entered and stopped at the threshold. The prince was sitting
before a mirror fixed in the corner of the room, and was looking so
intently at his own face, apparently just touched with rouge and white,
that he did not turn attention to the incomer. Two chamber servants,
kneeling before him, were fastening buckles at the ankles on his high
travelling-boots, while he was arranging slowly with his fingers the
luxuriant, evenly cut forelock of his bright gold-colored wig, or it
might be of his own abundant hair.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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