After mass Zbyszko thought that if he could only fall upon his knees before the queen and kiss her feet, then he did not care what happened afterward. But after the first mass, the queen went to her apartments. Usually she did not take any nourishment until noontime, and was not present at the merry breakfast, during which jugglers and fools appeared for the amusement of the king. The old wlodyka of Dlugolas came and summoned Zbyszko to the princess.
"You will serve Danusia and me at the table as my courtier," said the princess. "It may happen that you will please the king by some facetious word or deed, and the Krzyzak if he recognize you, will not complain to the king, seeing that you serve me at the king's table."
Zbyszko kissed the princess' hand. Then he turned to Danusia; and although he was more accustomed to battles than to the manners of the court, still he evidently knew what was befitting a knight, when he sees the lady of his thoughts in the morning; he retreated, and assuming an expression of surprise, and making the sign of the cross, exclaimed: "In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost!"
Danusia, looking at him with her blue eyes, asked: "Why do you make the sign of the cross, Zbyszko, after mass is ended?"
"Because your beauty increased so much, during last night, that I am astonished!"
Mikolaj of Dlugolas, who did not like the new, foreign customs of chivalry, shrugged his shoulders and said: "Don't lose time talking to her about her beauty! She is only a bush hardly grown up from the soil."
At this Zbyszko looked at him with rancor.
"You must be careful about calling her a 'bush,'" said he, turning pale with anger; "if you were younger, I would challenge you immediately and would fight until either you or I were dead!"
"Keep quiet, you beardless boy! I can manage you even to-day!"
"Be quiet!" said the princess. "Instead of thinking about your own danger, you are seeking a quarrel! I would prefer to find a more steady knight for Danusia. If you wish to foam, go where you please; but we do not need you here."
Zbyszko felt abashed at the princess' words and began to apologize. But he thought to himself that if Pan Mikolaj of Dlugolas had a grown-up son, then sometime he would challenge the son and would not forgive Mikolaj for calling her "bush." Now he determined to be quiet while in the king's castle and not to provoke anybody, only in case of absolute necessity.