in it something sacred, and that one must not lose one's head anyhow, for in an hour it will be over; to-morrow they will depart, and then the normal quiet life of husband and wife will begin. These thoughts, however, flew away at moments like a flock of sparrows, into which some one has fired from behind a hedge suddenly, and it grew empty in Pan Stanislav's head. Then phrases of this kind came to his lips mechanically: "The eighth of April--to-morrow will be Wednesday! to-morrow will be Wednesday! my watch! to-morrow will be Wednesday!" Later he roused himself, repeated, "One must be an idiot!" and the scattered birds flew back again in a whole flock to his head, and began to whirl around in it. Meanwhile Abdulski, the agent of the house of Polanyetski, Bigiel, and Company came in. He was to be the second groomsman, with Bukatski as first. Being a Tartar by origin and a man of dark complexion, though good-looking, he seemed so handsome in the dress-coat and white cravat that Pan Stanislav expressed the hope that surely he would marry soon. Abdulski answered,-- "The soul would to paradise;" then he commenced a pantomime, intended to represent the counting of money, and began to speak of the Bigiels. All their children wanted to be at the marriage. The Bigiels decided to take only the two elder ones; from this arose disagreements and difference of opinion, expressed on Pani Bigiel's side by means of slaps. Pan Stanislav, who was a great children's man, was exceedingly indignant at this, and said,-- "I'll play a trick on the Bigiels. Have they gone already?" "They were just going." "That is well; I will run in there on the way to Plavitski's, take all the children, and pour them out before Pani Bigiel and my affianced." Abdulski expressed the conviction that Pan Stanislav would not do so; but he merely confirmed him thereby in his plan all the more. In fact, when he entered the carriage, they drove for the children directly. The governess, knowing Pan Stanislav's relations with the family, dared not oppose him; and half an hour later, Pan Stanislav, to the great consternation of Pani Bigiel, entered Plavitski's lodgings at the head of a whole flock of little Bigiels, in their every-day clothing, with collars awry, hair disarranged for the greater part, and faces half happy, half frightened, and, hurrying up to Marynia, he said, kissing her hands already enclosed in white gloves,-- "They wanted to wrong the children. Say that I did well." This proof of his kind heart entertained and pleased Marynia; hence she was glad from her whole soul to see the children, and even glad of this,--that the assembled guests considered her future husband an original,--and glad because Pani Bigiel, straightening the crooked collars hurriedly, said in her worry,-- "What's to be done with such a madman?"