CHAPTER XXIV.

PAN YAN, who had galloped in advance of the regi-
ments to the castle to inquire for the princess and Za-
globa, did not find them. They had neither been seen
nor heard of, though there was news of the attack on
Rozlogi and the destruction of the troops at Vassilyevka.
The knight looked himself up in his quarters at the arsenal,
together with his disappointed hopes. Sorrow, fear, and
affliction rushed upon him again; but he defended himself
from them as a wounded soldier on the battle-field defends
himself from crows and ravens flocking around to drink his
warm blood and tear his flesh. He strengthened himself with
the thought that Zagloba, being fertile in stratagems, might
make his way to Chernigoff and hide on receiving news of
the defeat of the hetmans. He remembered then that old
man whom he met on the way to Rozlogi, and who, together
with his boy, as he said himself, had been stripped of his
clothes by some devil, and had sat three days in the reeds
of the Kagamlik, fearing to come out into the world. The
thought occurred to Skshetuski at once that it must be Za-
globa who had stripped them in order to get a disguise for
himself and Helena. "It cannot be otherwise," repeated
he; and he found great consolation in this thought, since
such disguise made flight much more easy. He hoped that
God, who watches over innocence, would not abandon Hel-
ena; and wishing the more to obtain this favor for her, he
determined to purify himself from his sins. He left the
arsenal therefore; and on searching for the priest Mukho-
vetski, and finding him engaged in consoling some women,
he begged to have his confession heard.

The priest led him to a chapel, entered the confessional
at once, and began to hear him. When he had finished,
the priest instructed, edified, and consoled him, strengthened
his faith, and then rebuked him, saying: "A Christian is
not permitted to doubt the power of God, or an individual
to grieve more over his own misfortune than that of his
country; but you have more tears for your personal inter-
ests -- that is, for your friends -- than for the nation, and
grieve more over your love than over the catastrophe that has