Henryk Sienkiewicz

“ The groaning again resounded, as though it came from under the ground; deep, heavy, strained, as if the beast with difficulty drew it from its powerful lungs. It proceeded lowly over the ground, alternately increased and subsided, passing at times into a hollow, prodigiously mournful moan.
"Kali, throw fuel into the fire," commanded Stas.
The negro threw upon the camp-fire an armful of boughs so hastily that at first whole sheaves of sparks burst out, after which a high flame shot up.
"Stas, the lion will not attack us, will he?" whispered Nell, pulling the boy by the sleeve. ”

“ Then he went out of the chamber, and returning after a while, said,—
"Day is dawning, though the day will be gloomy. Yurand's people are watering the horses. It is time for thee to take the road."
At these words the princess and Danusia broke into loud weeping, and they and Zbyshko lamented, as do simple people when they part; that is, in their lament there was something ceremonial, a complaint, half spoken, half chanted, which comes forth from full souls as naturally as tears from the eyes,—
"Hei, weeping will help us no longer. ”

“ Henryk Sienkiewicz is perhaps the most popular of contemporary Polish novelists. He is a realist, but his realism is tempered by a dash of romance. Keenly in sympathy with the poor, the oppressed, the despised, and possessed of a genius for portraying the character of Polish peasants, he has a particular gift for depicting the sufferings of artistic natures dimly conscious of their gifts, or blighted by the curse of mediocrity. ”

“ The Cossacks no longer dipped from the barrels with cups, but thrust their heads in up to the neck, and sprinkled the dancing girls with vudka and mead. Their faces were inflamed, steam rose from their heads; and some were already staggering.
Zagloba, coming out on the porch, cast his eye on the drinking crowd, then looked carefully at the sky.
"Clear, but dark," he muttered; "when the moon goes down you might strike them in the face, they wouldn't see you.--Go on, my boys," he cried, "go on! Don't spare yourselves; your teeth won't grow stiff. ”

“ Yagenka knelt, Yurand dropped from the bench to his knees, and they continued in a chorus,—
"Kyrie eleison! Chryste eleison!—O Father in Heaven, O God, have mercy on us! O Thou Son, the Redeemer, Lord of the world, have mercy on us!"
The voices of people and the imploring words: "Have mercy on us!" were mingled with the trilling of the nightingales.
All at once the tame she-wolf rose from the bearskin lying near Yurand's bench, approached the open window, rested her forepaws on it, and raising her triangular face toward the moon, began to howl in a low, plaintive voice. ”

“ But why did he challenge you?"
"Because I rode by the carriage of Anusia Borzobogata."
"You ought to have told him to go to Pan Longin at Zamost. He would have dressed him with pepper and ginger. That fish-broth fellow has struck badly; it is evident that he has less luck than his nose."
"I said nothing to him about Pan Podbipienta," said Volodyovski, "for he might have dropped me. I'll pay court now to Anusia with redoubled fervor out of spite. I want to have my sport too; what better employment can we have in Warsaw?"
"We'll find it, Pan Michael, we'll find it," said Zagloba, winking. ”

“ It is a pity that I did not ask you alone to this dinner—With a full moon it must be beautiful here, though on these heights I have always a throbbing of the heart. If you could see how it throbs at this moment; but look at my pulse, you can see it even through the glove."
She turned her palm, which was confined so tightly in the Danish glove as to be turned almost into a tube, and stretched it to Svirski. He took the hand in both of his, and looked at it.
"No," said he; "I cannot see the pulse clearly, but perhaps I can hear it." ”

“ The crickets answered him, and the increasing flame, which brought out from the shadow watching faces, was reflected in the armor of De Lorche, illuminating at the same time Danusia's white robe and the garland on her head.
The dogs in the yard barked again toward the forest as if at wolves.
And as the night passed silence fell more and more on them, till at last the princess said,—
"Dear Jesus! is it to be thus after a marriage? Better go to sleep; but since we must wait till morning, play to us on the lute, little flower, play, for the last time before thy going, to me and to Zbyshko." ”

“ But they were acquiring a still greater idea of the power of the "Good Mzimu," as well as of the white master, and, staring now at the elephant then at Saba, they whispered to each other: "If they bewitched even the 'wobo' who in the world can oppose them?" But the most solemn moment did not come until Stas, turning to Nell, first bowed profoundly and afterwards drew aside the curtain-like walls of the palanquin and exhibited to the eyes of the crowd the "Good Mzimu." M'Rua and all the warriors fell on their faces so that their bodies formed a long, living deck. ”

“ But not even the playing and singing of the choristers roused her. Some kept time to the music with their feet, others accompanied by beating the dishes, but the greater the noise the better she slept, with her mouth open, like a little fish. She woke only when, at cock-crow and the sound of church bells, all moved from the table crying,—
"To matins! to matins!"
"We will go on foot to praise God," said the princess.
And taking the awakened Danusia by her hand, she went forth first from the inn, and after her the whole court. The night had grown pale. ”

“ Kmita retreated a step, as if he had seen an apparition. “Pan Volodyovski!” cried he.
“At your service!” answered the little man. And he advanced into the middle of the chamber; after him entered in a crowd Mirski, Zagloba, Pan Yan, Pan Stanislav, Stankyevich, Oskyerko and Roh Kovalski.
“Ha!” cried Zagloba; “the Cossack caught a Tartar, and the Tartar holds him by the head!”
Billevich began to speak: “Whoever you are, gentlemen, save a citizen whom in spite of law, birth, and office they wish to arrest and confine. Save, brothers, the freedom of a noble, whoever you may be.” ”

“ Anger at Marynia seized him; he was full of stubbornness, and almost contempt.
“I do not want Marynia at such a price!” thought he, gritting his teeth; “I do not! I have suffered enough through her. I would give ten such for one Litka.”
Meanwhile Vaskovski, trotting near him, said,—
“Nothing is to be seen at a step’s distance, and the stones are slippery from fog. Without thee I should have fallen long ago.”
Pan Stanislav recovered himself, and answered,—
“Whoso walks on the earth, professor, must look down, not up.”
“Thou hast good legs, my dear friend.” ”

“ The head of the Nazarene had fallen low on his breast; it was as pale as wax; his eyes were closed, his lips blue.
"He is dead," whispered Antea.
"He is dead," repeated Cinna.
At this moment a centurion thrust his spear into the side of the dead. A wonderful thing: the return of light and the sight of that death seemed to appease that crowd. They pushed nearer and nearer, especially since the soldiers did not bar approach. Among the throng were heard voices,—
"Come down from the cross! Come down from the cross!" ”

“ I smell here the petticoat of the princess. Behind the member of parliament is Jozwowicz, just as behind the evening dress there is the morning gown. What a strong perfume!
Doctor.—You may sell your perspicacity at another market. It is my personal affair.
Anton.—Not at all, for it means that you put only half your soul into public affairs. To the deuce with such business! Look at me. They howl at me in the newspapers, they laugh at me—but I do not care. I will tell you more! I feel that I shall never rise, although I am not lacking in strength nor intelligence. ”

“ He will bring his plumes, but he will not bring them to Yurand's daughter; for I too have talked with Yurand, and I know how matters are. Well, and what will be afterward? Afterward he will come hither, for whither should he go?"
"When will he come?"
"Well, if thou wait not there will be no feeling against thee. But now repeat to Zyh and the abbot what I tell thee. Let them soften their anger against Zbyshko even a little."
"How am I to explain? Papa is vexed rather than angry, but it is dangerous to speak of Zbyshko in presence of the abbot. ”

“ Jagienka, pour for him and for me."
"I am drinking and eating as much as I can."
"Ungird your belt; then you will be able to eat and drink more. What a beautiful girdle you have! Yon must have taken rich booty in Lithuania!"
"We cannot complain," answered Zbyszko, gladly seizing the opportunity to explain that the heirs of Bogdaniec were no longer wlodykas. "A part of our booty, we sold in Krakow and received forty silver grzywiens for it."
"You don't say so! Why, one can buy an estate for that."
"Yes. There was one Milanese armor which my uncle, expecting to die, sold for a good price." ”

“ Neither realism nor romance alone will ever with its small plummet sound to its depths the human heart or its mystery; yet from the union of the two much perhaps might come.
We believe that just here lies the value of the novels of Henryk Sienkiewicz. He has worked out the problem of the modern novel so as to satisfy the most ardent realist, but he has worked it out upon great and broadly human lines. For him facts are facts indeed; but facts have souls as well as bodies. His genius is analytic, but also imaginative and constructive; it is not forever going upon botanizing excursions. ”

“ Her punk and steel fell to the ground.
"Let me go! What is this?" said she, in a smothered voice; still she did not push his face away; on the contrary, her lips even touched his, as if by accident.
He let her go, and said,—
"God reward! I know not what might have happened without thee." ”

“ He recalled those bright moonlight nights when he stole away to the mill, and that village girl, fragrant with the hay, who, to the question of whether she loved him, whispered in reply, "Of course," and threw her yet half-childish arms around his neck and hugged him to her breast with such strength that no other love could make a sincerer avowal. He recollected that he nevertheless loved her at that time, and when he missed her, longed for her, and even inquired of the people about the blacksmith's family--but with reserve and faint-heartedly, as fear closed his lips. ”

“ After a while, turning to Hlava again, she said,—
"But he was mistaken in sending you back. Why guard us here in Spyhov? Old Tolima can guard, and there you would be useful to Zbyshko, for you are strong and clever."
"But in case of need, who will take you, young lady, to Zgorzelitse?"
"In case of need you will come here before them. They must send news through some one; let them send it through you—and you will take us then to Zgorzelitse."
Hlava kissed her hand and asked with emotion,—
"You will stay here meanwhile?"
"God is above the orphan! We will stay here." ”

“ Oh, if the thunders would fire you away!" said he, pointing to the smoking trenches of the Cossacks. "Oh, it is hard to live in this world! Pan Longin, are you really going out? May the angels guard you! If the plague would choke those ruffians!"
"I must take farewell of you," said Podbipienta.
"How is that? Where are you going?" asked Zagloba.
"To the priest Mukhovetski,--to confess, my brother. I must cleanse my sinful soul."
Pan Longin hastened to the castle; the others returned to the ramparts. Skshetuski and Volodyovski were silent, but Zagloba said,--
"Something holds me by the throat. ”

“ Pan Andrei grew impatient and gnawed his mustaches; the guests looked at him with a fixed frown, and the sword-bearer stroked his forelock.
“Will you drink a glass of poor nobles’ mead with us?” asked he at last, pointing to a decanter and a glass. “I request you—”
“I will drink with a gentleman!” said Kmita, rather abruptly.
Dovgird and Hudzynski began to puff, taking the answer as an expression of contempt for them; but they would not begin a quarrel at once in a friendly house, and that with a roisterer who had a terrible reputation throughout all Jmud. Still the insult nettled them. ”

“ Hlava did not say this in earnest, and he smiled even, for in his heart he had good-will for Sanderus; but Sanderus was terrified.
"Mercy! Oh, mercy!" cried he. "Give me a little more of that Pagan strong drink, and I will tell everything; what I have seen and what I have not seen!"
"If thou tell one lie I will drive a wedge between thy teeth!" replied Hlava.
But he brought a skin of mare's-milk a second time. ”

“ Marynia looked now at one, now at the other, with a somewhat anxious face. Meanwhile Plavitski came with cards. The betrothed walked through the rooms hand in hand; Bukatski began to be wearied, and grew more and more so. Toward the end of the evening the humor which animated him died out; his small face became still smaller, his nose sharper, and he looked like a dried leaf. When he went out with Pan Stanislav, the latter inquired,—
“Somehow thou wert not so vivacious?”
“I am like a machine: while I have fuel within, I move; but in the evening, when the morning supply is exhausted, I stop.” ”

“ They brought Siegfried in from the dungeon then. His hands were bound crosswise on his breast, and, in company with Tolima, all went to Yurand.
At the first moment Hlava could not see Yurand well, for the membrane windows admitted little light, while the day was dark because of clouds which had covered the sky completely, and announced a dreadful tempest. But when his keen eyes had grown used to the gloom, he barely recognized the old man, so thin had he grown, and so wretched. The giant had changed into an immense skeleton. ”