"Eh, what a bold fellow," thought he of Yatsek, "nothing confuses him."
The silence continued, at once unendurable and ridiculous. Yatsek himself felt this, also, for he was the first man to break it.
"Sit down, young sirs," said he, "not only do I invite, but I beg you."
The Bukoyemskis looked at one another with astonishment, this new turn confused them.
"How is this? What is it? Of what is he thinking?"
"I beg you, I beg you," repeated Yatsek, and he pointed to benches.
"We stay as we are, for it pleases us, dost understand?"
"What ceremony?" cried Lukash. "Dost thou claim to be a senator, or a bishop, thou--thou Pompeius!"
Yatsek did not move from the chair, but his back began to quiver as if from sudden laughter.
"But it may be because thou art a fool," replied Yatsek.
"Strike, whoso believes in God!" shouted Yan.
Evidently Yatsek had had talk enough also, for something seemed to snatch him from the chair on a sudden, and he sprang like a cat toward the brothers.
"Listen, ye road-blockers," said he with a voice cold as steel, "what do ye want of me?"
"Thou wilt not squirm away from us this time!" shouted Marek. "Come out at once," said he, grasping toward his side for a sabre.
But Stanislav pushed in quickly between them.
"I will not permit," cried he. "This is another man's dwelling."
"True," added Yatsek, "this is another man's dwelling, and I will not injure Pan Gideon. I will not cut you up under his roof, but I will find you to-morrow."
"We will find thee to-morrow!" roared Mateush.
"Ye have sought conflicts and raised pretexts all day, why, I cannot tell, for I have not known you, nor have ye known me, but ye must answer for this, and because ye have insulted me I would meet not four men but ten like you."
"Oho! oho! One will suffice thee. It is clear," cried out Yan, "that thou hast not heard of the Bukoyemskis."
"I have spoken of four," said Yatsek, turning on a sudden to Stanislav, "but perhaps you will join with these cavaliers?"
"But we first, and according to seniority," said the Bukoyemskis. "We will not withdraw from that. We have settled it, and will cut down any man who interferes with us."
Yatsek looked quickly at the brothers, and in one moment divined, as he thought, the arrangement, and he paled somewhat.