At  last  everything  was  ready.  The  guests  began  to  arrive  and
the  carriage  was  sent  to  the  town  to  bring  the  bride.  Everybody
was  in  festival  attire  and  all  tuned  to  expect  the  utmost  excitements
the  village  had  ever  had.  One  could  see  the  people  in  groups  of
three  or  four,  discussing  in  a  high  pitch  of  voice  the  wonders  of
the  wedding  festival  or  venturing  various  guesses  about  the  Ameri-
can bride.  The  village  girls,  who  were  not  a  little  jealous,  nudged
each  other  and  exchanged  meaning  glances,  that  Petka  was  to  get
in  a  fix  he  had  never  been  before.  All  were  anxious  to  see  the
arrival  of  the  two  thousand-ruble  bride.  The  blacksmith  and  the
inn-keeper  were  discussing  something  excitedly.
"Say  what  you  want,  but  this  kind  of  matrimonial  aff'air  is  the
limit,"  argued  the  blacksmitli,  pushing  back  his  hat.  "I  can't  see
how  a  woman  comes  such  a  distance  and  so  many  weeks  to  marry


RUSSIA— NARODNY  183

Petka,  whom  she  has  never  seen,  and  how  Petka  gets  the  crazy
thought  to  marry  a  city  woman  whom  he  does  not  know.  Some-
tliing   is  wrong   somewhere.     This   is   going   to   bust   sooner   or

later."

"My  dear  Vasska,  it's  the  education,  the  refinement  and  all  that
which  I  and  you  can  do  without,"  grunted  the  inn-keeper.
Vasska  rubbed  his  fists  and  spat  vigorously.  The  inn-keeper
tried  to  mollify  him  by  saying  that  he  should  not  take  the  matter
so  seriously.
