On the Field of Glory Part 33

"How is he?"

Martsian shrugged his shoulders, raised them till his head seemed to be in his bosom, and answered,--

"He is rattling yet."

"Is there no hope?"

"None."

At that moment through the open door came distinctly the solemn words of the prelate,--

"_Ego te absolve a peccatis tuis--et ab omnibus censuris, in nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti_. Amen." (I absolve thee from thy sins, and from all blame, in the name of the Father and Son and Holy Ghost.)

All knelt and began to pray. Pani Vinnitski pa.s.sed between the kneeling people, holding with both hands the reliquary. Martsian followed and closed the door after him.

But it was not closed long, for a quarter of an hour later Martsian appeared in it and said in his squeaking voice of a clarionet,--

"He is dead!"

Then with the words, "Eternal rest," they moved one after another to the chancellery, to cast a last look at the dead man.

Meanwhile at the other end of the house, in the dining-hall, revolting scenes were enacted. The servants of the household had hated Pan Gideon as much as they had feared him; hence it seemed to them that with his death would come an hour of relief, delight, and impunity. To servants from outside an occasion was offered for revelry; so all servants, as well those of the house as others summoned in to a.s.sist them, tipsy more or less since midday, rushed now at the wine and the viands.

Servants raised to their lips whole flasks of Dantsic liquor, Malmoisie, and Hungarian wine; others, more greedy for food, seized pieces of meat and cake. The snow-white tablecloth was stained in one twinkle with gravies. In the disturbance chairs were overturned on the floor and candlesticks on the table. Ornamented cut gla.s.ses fell from drunken hands to the floor with a crash and were broken. Quarrels and fights burst out here and there in the dining-hall. Some stole table ornaments directly. In one word, an orgy began, sounds of which flew to the other end of the mansion.

Martsian Krepetski, and after him the two Sulgostovskis, young Zabierzovski and one more of the guests, rushed toward those outcries, and at sight of what was happening drew their sabres. At the first moment disturbance increased. The Sulgostovskis went no further than to strike with the flat of the weapons, but Martsian was seized by an access of fury. His staring eyes protruded still farther, his teeth glittered from under his mustaches, and he began to cut with the sabre edge whatever man met him. Some were covered with blood, others hid under the table; the remainder crowded in disordered flight through the door, and Martsian cut at this throng while he shouted,--

"Dog brothers! Scoundrels! I am master in this place!"

And he rushed after them to the entrance whence his shrieking voice was heard shouting,--

"Clubs! rods!"

And the guests stood in the hall, as in ruins, gazing with mortified look, and shaking their heads at the spectacle.

"I have never seen such a sad sight," said one Sulgostovski.

"A wonderful death, and wonderful happenings! Look at this it is just as if Tartars had raided the mansion."

"Or evil spirits," added Zabierzovski. "A terrible night!"

They commanded the servants hidden under the table to crawl forth and bring some order to the dining-hall. They came out, perfectly sobered from terror, and went to work nimbly.

Meanwhile Martsian had returned. He was calmer, but his lips were still trembling from anger.

"They will come to their minds!" said he, addressing those present.

"But I thank you, gentlemen, for helping me to punish those ruffians.

It will not be easier here for them than it was in the days of the dead man! My head upon that point."

The Sulgostovskis looked at him quickly, and one said,--

"You have not to thank us more than we you."

"How is that?"

"Why art thou qualifying to be the only judge here?" asked the other of the twins.

Martsian, as if wis.h.i.+ng to spring to their eyes, sprang upward on his short bow-legs straightway, and shouted,--

"I have the right, the right!"

"What right?"

"A better right than yours."

"How is that? Hast read the will?"

"What is a will to me?" Here he blew on the palm of his hand; "that's what it is,--wind! To whom has he willed it--to his wife? But where is his wife? That is the question--we are next of kin here. We--the Krepetskis, not you."

"But we will see about that. G.o.d kill thee!"

"G.o.d kill thee! Clear out!"

"Thou goat! Thou nasty cur! Why dost thou tell us to go? Better have a care of thy goat forehead!"

"Are ye threatening?"

Here Martsian shook his sabre and pushed up to the brothers. They too grasped at their weapons.

But at that moment the offended voice of the prelate was heard there behind them,--

"Gracious gentlemen, the dead man is not cold yet."

The Sulgostovskis were terribly ashamed, and one of them said,--

"Reverend prelate, we are not to blame; we have our own bread and do not desire that of others, but this serpent is beginning to sting, and wishes to drive people out of this mansion."

"What people? Whom?"

"Whomever he comes upon. To-day us, whom he has ordered away, to-morrow, perhaps, the orphan bride living under this roof here."

"That is untrue! untrue!" cried Martsian.

And, winding himself into a ball, he laughed sneeringly, rubbed his hands, bowed down and said with a certain envenomed sincerity,--

"On the contrary, on the contrary! I invite all to the funeral and to the feast following after the interment. I beg most humbly; my father and I beg. And as to Panna Sieninski, she will find at all times a roof, and protection, and care at all times, at all times!"

And he went on rubbing his hands very gleefully.