Yagna went into the private room, where she undressed. Returning in her everyday costume, she would have done the honours of the cabin and treated her guests herself, but that her mother would not let her touch anything. “Darling, enjoy your wedding-day now! You’ll yet have work enough and enough toil!” And again and again did she weep over her most tenderly, and clasp her to her bosom. The company found matter for laughter in this maternal sentimentality of hers: their jeers being all the sharper that now, on Yagna’s arrival as mistress in her husband’s home, owner of so much land and property of every sort, her new position was brought home to them. Many a mother, with yet unmarried daughters, felt very bitter against her; many a girl was choked with bile at the thought. They went over to survey the other apartments, where Antek had formerly lived with his family. There Eva and Yagustynka had prepared a grand supper and made a roaring fire. Vitek had hardly been able to bring logs enough and place them under the enormous pots. They examined all the premises besides, and ran their envious eyes over all that there was to be seen. The house itself, to begin with, was the first in the whole village: large, conspicuous, tall, with rooms (they fancied) as good as those in a manor-house: whitewashed, and with boarded floors! Then how numerous the household articles and utensils were! In the big room, too, there were a score of holy images: and all of them glazed! And then, the byre, the stable, the granary, the shed! Five cows were kept there, to say nothing of the bull—no small source of profit. And the horses, and the geese, and the swine—and, above all, the land! Eaten up with envy, they sighed deeply; and one said to another: “Lord! and to think that all this goes to one that is undeserving!” “Oh! they knew well how to bring their pigs to market!” “Yes; he that goes to meet luck always finds it.” “Why should your Ulisia have missed this chance?” “Because she fears God and leads an honest life.” “And all the rest do the same!” “Oh, were she other than she is, folk would not stand it of her. Let them but meet her once at night in company with a lad, and all the world will know!” “What luck this one has!” “’Tis the fruit of shamelessness.” “Come along!” Andrew called out, interrupting their talk. “The music is playing, and not one petticoat is in the room—nobody to dance with!” “A mind to dance you have, but will your mother let you?” “So eager?—Beware and let not your trousers fall, boy: ’twere no fair sight!” “Nor trip the dancers up with your legs!” “Pair off with Valentova; you’ll make a fine couple ... of scarecrows!” Andrew rapped out an oath, took hold of the first girl he came across, and led her off, paying no heed to the wasps humming behind him.