"I do not care. You have money, and I do not need anything for my journey. I will be received everywhere and my horses will be fed; if I only had a suit of armor on my back and a sword in my hand, I would need nothing else." Macko began to think about everything that had happened. All his plans and wishes had been frustrated. He had wished with his whole heart that Zbyszko would marry Jagienka; but he now realized that this wish would never be fulfilled; and considering the abbot's anger, the behavior of Zbyszko toward Jagienka and finally the fight with Cztan and Wilk, he concluded it would be better to allow Zbyszko to go. "Ha!" said he, finally, "if you must seek for the peacock's feathers on the heads of the Knights of the Cross, go then. Let the Lord Jesus' will be accomplished. But I must go immediately to Zgorzelice; perhaps I will succeed in appeasing their wrath if I implore pardon of the abbot and of Zych; I care especially for the friendship of Zych." Here he looked into Zbyszko's eyes and asked: "Do you not regret Jagienka?" "May God give her health and the best of everything!" answered Zbyszko. END OF PART SECOND. PART THIRD. CHAPTER I. Macko waited patiently for several days, hoping to receive some news from Zgorzelice, or to hear that the abbot's anger had been appeased; finally he became impatient and determined to go personally to see Zych. Everything had happened contrary to his wishes, and now he was anxious to know whether Zych was angry with him. He was afraid that the abbot would never be reconciled with Zbyszko and him. He wanted, however, to do everything he could, to soften that anger; therefore while riding, he was thinking what he would say in Zgorzelice, to palliate the offence and preserve the old friendship with his neighbor. His thoughts, however, were not clear, therefore he was glad to find Jagienka alone; the girl received him as usual with a bow and kissed his hand,--in a word, she was friendly, but a little sad. "Is your father home?" asked he. "He went out hunting with the abbot. They may be back at any moment." Having said this, she conducted him into the house, where they both sat in silence for a long time; the girl spoke first, and said: "Are you lonely now in Bogdaniec?" "Very lonely," answered Macko. "Then you knew that Zbyszko had gone away?" Jagienka sighed softly: "Yes, I knew it the very same day; I thought he would come here to bid me good-bye, but he did not." "How could he come!" said Macko. "The abbot would have torn him to pieces; neither would your father have welcomed him." She shook her head and said: "Ej! I would not allow anybody to injure him." Upon this Macko hugged the girl and said: "God be with you, girl! You are sad, but I also am sad. Let me tell you that neither the abbot nor your own father loves you more than I do. I wish that Zbyszko had chosen you, and not another."