appy because the weather was
clearing; the mist was not rising up as it usually does when clouds are
gathering, but kept falling: the wind spread forth its palms and stroked
the mist, smoothed it, and spread it on the meadow; meanwhile the sun from
on high with a thousand beams pierced the web, silvered it, gilded it,
made it rosy. As when a pair of workmen at Sluck are making a Polish
girdle; a girl at the base of the loom smooths and presses the web with
her hands, while the weaver throws her from above threads of silver, gold
and purple, forming colours and flowers: thus to-day the wind spread all
the earth with mist and the sun embroidered it.

Maciej was warming himself in the sun after finishing his prayers, and was
already setting about his household work. He brought out grass and leaves;
he sat down in front of his house and whistled: at this whistle a
multitude of rabbits bobbed up from beneath the ground. Like narcissuses
suddenly blooming above the grass, their long ears shine white; beneath
them their bright eyes glitter like bloody rubies thickly sown in the
velvet of the greensward. Now the rabbits sit up, and each listens and
gazes around; finally the whole white, furry herd run to the old man,
allured by leaves of cabbage; they jump to his feet, on his knees, on his
shoulders: himself white as a rabbit, he loves to gather them around him
and stroke their warm fur with his hand; but with his other hand he throws
millet on the grass for the sparrows, and the noisy rabble drop from the
roofs.

While the aged man was amusing himself with the sight of this gathering,
suddenly the rabbits vanished into the earth, and the flocks of sparrows
fled to the roof before new guests, who were coming into the yard with
quick steps. These were the envoys whom the assembly of gentry at the
priest's house had sent to consult Maciek. Greeting the old man from afar
with low bows, they said: "Praised be Jesus Christ."--"For ever and ever,
amen,"124 answered the old man; and, when he had learned of the importance
of the embassy, he asked them into his cottage. They entered and sat down
upon a bench. The first of the envoys took his stand in the centre and
began to render an account of his mission.

Meanwhile more and more of the gentry were arriving; almost all the
Dobrzynskis, and no few of the neighbours from the hamlets near by, armed
and unarmed, in carts and in carriages, on foot and on horseback. They
halted their vehi