ances of changeful fortune and amid the bloody
chances of war. To-day for me, too, a new epoch is opened! Birbante-Rocca
has resounded with the renown of my arms; may this renown spread far and
wide in Poland also!"

He concluded, and proudly smote his sword hilt.

"It is hard to blame such a desire," said Robak. "Depart, but take money
with you; you may equip a company of soldiers, like Wlodzimierz Potocki,
who amazed the French by contributing a million to the treasury, or like
Prince Dominik Radziwill, who abandoned his lands and goods and furnished
two fresh regiments of cavalry. Go, go, but take money; across the Niemen
we have hands enough, but money is scarce in the Grand Duchy; go, we bid
you farewell!"

"Alas!" said Telimena with a mournful glance, "I see that nothing will
restrain you! My knight, when you enter the lists of battle, turn a
feeling gaze on the colours of your beloved." (Here she tore a ribbon from
her dress, made a cockade, and pinned it on the Count's bosom.) "May these
colours guide you against fiery cannon, against shining spears and
sulphurous rains; and when you make yourself famous by warlike deeds, and
when you shade with immortal laurels your blood-stained helmet and your
casque, bold in victory, even then look once more on this cockade!
Remember whose hand pinned upon you these colours!"

Here she offered him her hand. The Count knelt and kissed it; Telimena
raised her handkerchief to one eye, but with the other eye she looked down
on the Count, who was bidding her farewell with deep emotion. She sighed,
but shrugged her shoulders.

But the Judge said: "Hurry up, my dear Count, for it is already late!" And
the Monk Robak called out with a threatening mien: "Enough of this; hurry
up!" Thus the orders of the Judge and the Monk separated the tender pair
and drove them from the room.

Meanwhile Thaddeus had embraced his uncle with tears and was kissing
Robak's hand. Robak, pressing the lad's brow to his breast and hying his
palms crosswise on his head, gazed aloft and said: "My son, may God be
with you!" Then he began to weep. But Thaddeus was already beyond the
threshold.

"What, brother?" asked the Judge, "will you tell him nothing? not even
now? Shall the poor lad still remain in ignorance, now that he is going to
leave us!"

"No, nothing!" said the Monk, after a long interval of weeping, his face
covered by his hands. "Why should the poor fellow know that he has a
father who h