And now the village shone bright, and every cabin blazed through open door or window: within they were all busy getting supper ready. Louder grew the noise and uproar: children clamoured, horses whinnied, gates swung rasping rustily, calves bleated, geese gaggled, driven home from their pastures: all Lipka effervesced with commotion and uproar. With the evening meal there came a hush. The visitors were invited to table, and offered the first places, as honoured guests: they were pressed to eat of all that was best: meat was plentiful, and vodka flowed freely. Through the open doors and windows, the circle of heads round the tables could be seen, spoons were heard scraping the platters, and far into the roads came the savoury scent of fried bacon. Roch passed from hut to hut, sowing the seed of good words, as a thrifty farmer, full of care for his lands—yet at the same time not less happy, perhaps happier, than anyone else in the village. At Hanka’s, too, the day of joy was felt. Though they needed no assistance, yet they had, in order to be of service, invited to supper two men from Rzepki, who had been working at Veronka’s and at Golab’s. These she had chosen because the Rzepki community claimed to be of noble blood. In Lipka, indeed, people laughed that claim to scorn; but no sooner had they come in than Hanka was aware of a subtle distinction that stamped all they did. They were undersized, thin, wore black well-fitting capotes like townsmen; their moustaches, of the colour of hemp, stood out stiffly; their looks were dignified, their manners courteous, and they spoke after the fashion of gentlemen. Very well-behaved folk they were, praising all they saw with courteous grace, and so pleasing of speech that the women felt mightily flattered. Hanka paid such attention and had such an eye to all their needs that, during the plentiful supper she had had prepared and laid out over a clean white cloth on the table, her folk were continually dancing attendance on them. As to Yagna, who had made a first-class toilet for the occasion, she was in the seventh heaven, her eyes simply glued on the younger of the two men. But when Yagustynka whispered: “He has only his own ladies to think of; a barefoot lass is of no account to him!” she turned very red, and hurried out to her own room. It was then that Roch came in to take a look at the table. “How amazed our men will be,” he said, “to learn that the Rzepki folk have come to help them!” “If we fought you in the wood, it was no private concern of ours: therefore do we bear no grudge,” the elder of the two replied. “Whenever two men come to blows, a third is sure to gain thereby!” “Roch, ye say true. And if these twain make friends, may not that third have to smart for it?” “He may. Sir, you speak most wisely.” “What Lipka must bear to-day, may be Rzepki’s burden to-morrow.”