"That is certain," the _znaharka_ assented; "but what, Matvéi Ivanich, if it is also God's will that we should at least do our best to rid ourselves of the scourge He has permitted to fall upon our backs, or rather of the devils which have come among us? Our _rodityelui_ (forefathers) were accustomed to fight the plague-demon by means of certain ceremonies--simple ceremonies and very effectual. It is at least possible that the Almighty is angry that we neglect to employ those simple weapons which a little knowledge places in our hands." The wise woman paused. "Well," said the starost, "go on. What are you referring to? Were they Christian ceremonies that the _rodityelui_ employed?" "Assuredly!" said the _znaharka_; "there were prayers, and an _ikon_ was carried about." "But the priest has already been amongst us with his _ikon_, and you see how much we have gained by it," observed the starost impatiently. "The function was incomplete, Matvéi Ivanich," the wise woman hastened to explain. "The prayers were good and the _ikon_ was good, but there were other things, good also, omitted. There is but one individual within a thirty-mile ride who knows of the true ceremony, and that is myself. Pay me ten roubles from the funds and the ceremony shall be performed, and the plague, perhaps, shall be stayed--who knows?" The _znaharka_ glanced at the sacred picture in the corner and crossed herself. The starost, feeling unable to decide the question single-handed, resolved to convoke a special meeting of the Souls of the Village in order to give full consideration to the proposal of the wise woman. The gaps among the ranks of the Souls were already distressingly numerous; and the Souls being the heads of houses, this fact told a sad tale of families deprived of the bread-winner, stricken down and lost to the community by the terrible ravages of the cholera-demon. It was in itself a silent but sufficient _primâ facie_ argument in favour of adopting the proposal of the _znaharka_. Of the moujiks still remaining alive, however, some few were found presumptuous enough to laugh to scorn the very idea of holding a pagan function in order to complete that which the Christian ceremony had omitted or failed to perform! Better to keep the ten roubles, they said, for the relief of the widows and children of those who had already fallen victims to the plague. But the great majority were strongly in favour of adopting the _znaharka's_ suggestion; it was at least a straw to grasp at, and certainly nothing could be more desperate than the situation of affairs in the village at the present moment. As for the ten roubles, it was pointed out by some that if "this sort of thing" were to continue much longer, there would be no one left alive to enjoy "the funds;" far wiser were it to spend the money in an endeavour to strike a blow at the insidious enemy, who threatened to depopulate the village within a measurable period of time!