It was he, but now wearing the priest’s cassock, and making the collection. He greeted everyone, and collected with great success; for they knew him, and it was impossible to let him pass without offering something. So each man undid the bundle his money was knotted in, and often a silver _zloty_ jingled amongst the coppers on the plate. The Squire flung down a rouble, the young ladies of Vola small silver coins in plenty. Yanek, streaming with perspiration, red as fire, but happy and radiant, went on collecting indefatigably all through the churchyard, passing no one by, and saying a good word to everybody. He met Hanka, and saluted her so cordially that she gave twenty kopeks. But when he came face to face with Yagna, clinking the money in his plate before her, she raised her eyes—and was struck dumb with amazement. He too was so taken aback by her confusion that he at once and without a word passed on farther. She had even forgotten to make an offering, lost as she was in the contemplation of the young man—the very image, she thought, of the saint painted above one of the side-altars: so young, so slender, so beautiful to look upon! Oh, what a spell those gleaming eyes of his had cast on her!... Vainly she rubbed her eyes, and crossed herself again and again to get rid of it. Around her ran whispers: “Only an organist’s son, yet how well he is clad!” “And his mother is as vain as a turkey about him.” “Ever since Eastertide, he has been at the school for priests.” “His Reverence sent for him to make the collection to-day.” “For his son, at least, the grasping old skinflint is liberal enough.” “Surely, for will not the glory of the priesthood do honour to him too?” “Aye, and no small profit will be his likewise.” But Yagna, following him with fascinated eyes, heard no word of what they said. The service being quite at an end, the congregation was now dispersing, and Hanka was moving towards the gate, when Balcerkova came up to her with important news. “Know ye that, between Simon, son of Dominikova, and the girl Nastka, the banns have just been published?” “Oh, but what will Dominikova say to that?” “There will, of course, be another quarrel.” “She cannot do anything to prevent it: Simon is in the right—and of age besides.” “There will be a perfect hell in the hut,” Yagustynka observed. Hanka sighed: “Are there too few quarrels and sins against God as it is?” “Have ye heard,” Ploshkova asked her, “the news about the Voyt?” And she brought her large belly and bloated face unpleasantly close. “I have had so much trouble with the funeral, and so many other cares of late, that I know naught of what goes on in the village.” “Well, the head man at the office told my goodman that the village accounts were short by a great sum. And now the Voyt is going about everywhere and whining to get money lent to him; for there may be an investigation any day.” “Father-in-law used to say it would surely end in that wise.”