“There must be something underneath all this. One so high-placed would not do this without some reason.” “The reason is that he has lost his reason! All men seek and strive to better themselves: why should one such as he strive to be worse off? Only because his wits are gone,” said Hanka, raising her head, for voices were heard within the enclosure. They were coming back from the christening. Yuzka opened the march, with the baby, swaddled in a pillow, and covered with a shawl; then came Dominikova escorting it, then the Voyt and Ploshkova, the godfather and godmother; and, last of all, Ambrose limping along after them. But before entering, Dominikova took up the child, and, crossing herself, carried it all round the cabin, stopping at each corner according to some old prehistoric rite, and saying: “From the East cometh Wind. “From the North cometh Cold. “From the West cometh Night. “From the South cometh Heat. “And on every side, O human soul, beware of evil, and put thy trust in God alone.” “H’m!” laughed the Voyt; “that Dominikova seems such a pious one, but she’s a famous warlock all the same!” “Truly,” Ploshkova replied, “prayers do good; but all know that a few charms thrown in do no hurt.” They entered all together. Dominikova undid the child, and put it, stark naked and red as a crayfish, into its mother’s arms. “O Mother, we bring you a real Christian, who in holy baptism has received the name of Roch. May he live and thrive and be your consolation!” “And may he beget a dozen young Rochs! A roaring fellow he is! No need was there to pinch him at christening; and how he spat the salt out!” The little one was wailing and kicking out its legs upon the feather-bed. Dominikova wiped its eyes and mouth and forehead with some drops of vodka; and only then did she allow Hanka to take it to her breast. To this it at once turned, clung ravenously, and was hushed. Hanka then thanked the godfather and godmother very heartily, kissing them and the others present, and excusing herself that the christening was not such as befitted the son of a Boryna. “Then have another one next year,” said the Voyt, merrily, wiping his moustache, for the vodka glass was coming his way; “and that one will make up for this.” Here Ambrose blurted out thoughtlessly: “A christening without the father is like a sin without absolution!” This opened the floodgates of Hanka’s grief, until the women presently drank to comfort her, and gathered her into their arms with great compassion. Presently she was soothed, begged their pardons, and asked them to take something to eat. And, indeed, a great dish of scrambled eggs and minced sausage was spreading its fragrance through the air. It was Yagustynka who served the visitors, for Yuzka was crooning to the new-born child, rocking it to sleep in the large kneading-trough, for the old cradle had lost its rockers. Long did spoon after spoon go tinkling into the dish, nobody speaking the while.