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"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."
There came upon Jagienka such a moment of grief and longing, that she could not conceal her feelings, but said:
"I shall never see him again, or if I see him, it will be with Jurandowna, and then I will cry my eyes out."
She raised her apron and covered her eyes, which were filled with tears.
Macko said:
"Stop crying! He has gone, but with God's grace, he will not come back with Jurandowna."
"Why not?" said Jagienka, from behind her apron.
"Because Jurand does not want to give him the girl."
Then Jagienka suddenly uncovered her face, and having turned toward Macko, said to him:
"Zbyszko told me that; but is it true?"
"As true as that God is in heaven."
"But why?"
"Who knows why. Some vow, or something like that, and there is no remission for vows! He liked Zbyszko, because the boy promised to help him in his vengeance; but even that was useless. Jurand would listen neither to persuasion, nor to command, nor to prayers. He said he could not. Well, there must be some rea