saddle; and then she died from fear. They cut me with a halberd from
which I have a scar."

Having said this he showed a deep scar on his head coming from beneath
his hair to his eyebrows.

There was a moment of silence. Zbyszko was again looking at Danusia. Then
he asked:

"And you said, sir, that she has no knight?"

But he did not receive any answer, because at that moment the singing
stopped. One of the _rybalts_, a fat and heavy man, suddenly rose, and
the bench tilted to one side. Danusia tottered and stretched out her
little hands, but before she could fall or jump, Zbyszko rushed up like a
wild-cat and seized her in his arms.

The princess, who at first screamed from fear, laughed immediately and
began to shout:

"Here is Danusia's knight! Come, little knight and give us back our dear
little girl!"

"He grasped her boldly," some among the courtiers were heard to say.

Zbyszko walked toward the princess, holding Danusia to his breast, who
having encircled his neck with one arm, held the lute with the other,
being afraid it would be broken. Her face was smiling and pleased,
although a little bit frightened.