general Voynilovich, and that
scoundrel, his friend, Pan Wolk of Logomowicze. You remember how we took
Wolk captive, and how we were going to hang him to a beam in the barn,
because he was a tyrant to the peasantry and a servant of the Muscovites;
but the stupid peasants took pity on him! (I must roast him some time on
this penknife.) I will not mention countless other great forays, from
which we always emerged as befitted gentlemen, both with profit and with
general applause and glory! Why should I remind you of this! To-day the
Count, your neighbour, carries on his lawsuit and gains decrees in vain,
for not one of you is willing to aid the poor orphan! The heir of that
Pantler who nourished hundreds, to-day has no friend except me, his
Warden, and except this faithful penknife of mine!"

"And my brush," said Sprinkler. "Where you go, dear Gerwazy, there will I
go too, while I have a hand, and while this splish-splash is in my hands.
Two are a pair! In Heaven's name, my Gerwazy! You have your sword, I have
my sprinkling-brush! In Heaven's name, I will sprinkle, and do you strike;
and thus slish and slash, splish and splash; let others prate!"

"But, my brothers," said Razor, "you will not exclude Bartek; all that you
may soap I will shave."

"I too prefer to move on with you," added Bucket, "since I cannot make
them agree on the choice of a marshal. What care I for votes and balls for
voting? I have other balls." (Here he took from his pocket a handful of
bullets and rattled them.) "Here are balls!" he cried, "all these balls
are for the Judge!"

"We will join you," shouted Skoluba, "indeed we will!"

"Where you go," cried all the gentry, "where you go, there will we go
also! Long live the Horeszkos! Vivant the Half-Goats! Vivat the Warden
Rembajlo! Down with the Soplica!"

And thus the eloquent Gerwazy carried them all away, for all had their
grudges against the Judge, as is usual among neighbours; now complaints of
damage done by cattle, now for the cutting of wood, now squabbles over
boundary lines: some were aroused by anger, others merely by envy for the
wealth of the Judge--all were united by hatred. They crowded about the
Warden, and raised aloft sabres and sticks.

At last Maciek, hitherto sullen and motionless, rose from his bench and
with slow steps came out into the middle of the room and put his hands on
his hips: looking straight before him and nodding his head, he began to
speak, pronouncing slowly