Part Five: Chapter 6

by Leo Tolstoy

　　When the ceremony of plighting troth was over, the beadle spreadbefore the lectern in the middle of the church a piece of pinksilken stuff, the choir sang a complicated and elaborate psalm,in which the bass and tenor sang responses to one another, andthe priest turning round pointed the bridal pair to the pink silkrug. Though both had often heard a great deal about the sayingthat the one who steps first on the rug will be the head of thehouse, neither Levin nor Kitty were capable of recollecting it,as they took the few steps towards it. They did not hear theloud remarks and disputes that followed, some maintaining he hadstepped on first, and others that both had stepped on together.

　　After the customary questions, whether they desired to enter uponmatrimony, and whether they were pledged to anyone else, andtheir answers, which sounded strange to themselves, a newceremony began. Kitty listened to the words of the prayer,trying to make out their meaning, but she could not. The feelingof triumph and radiant happiness flooded her soul more and moreas the ceremony went on, and deprived her of all power ofattention.

　　They prayed: "Endow them with continence and fruitfulness, andvouchsafe that their hearts may rejoice looking upon their sonsand daughters." They alluded to God's creation of a wife fromAdam's rib "and for this cause a man shall leave father andmother, and cleave unto his wife, and they two shall be oneflesh," and that "this is a great mystery"; they prayed that Godwould make them fruitful and bless them, like Isaac and Rebecca,Joseph, Moses and Zipporah, and that they might look upon theirchildren's children. "That's all splendid," thought Kitty,catching the words, "all that's just as it should be," and asmile of happiness, unconsciously reflected in everyone wholooked at her, beamed on her radiant face.

　　"Put it on quite," voices were heard urging when the priest hadput on the wedding crowns and Shtcherbatsky, his hand shaking inits three-button glove, held the crown high above her head.

　　"Put it on!" she whispered, smiling.

　　Levin looked round at her, and was struck by the joyful radianceon her face, and unconsciously her feeling infected him. He too,like her felt glad and happy.

　　They enjoyed hearing the epistle read, and the roll of the headdeacon's voice at the last verse, awaited with such impatience bythe outside public. They enjoyed drinking out of the shallow cupof warm red wine and water, and they were still more pleased whenthe priest, flinging back his stole and taking both their handsin his, led them round the lectern to the accompaniment of bassvoices chanting "Glory to God."

　　Shtcherbatsky and Tchirikov, supporting the crowns and stumblingover the bride's train, smiling too and seeming delighted atsomething, were at one moment left behind, at the next treadingon the bridal pair as the priest came to a halt. The spark ofjoy kindled in Kitty seemed to have infected everyone in thechurch. It seemed to Levin that the priest and the deacon toowanted to smile just as he did.

　　Taking the crowns off their heads the priest read the last prayerand congratulated the young people. Levin looked at Kitty, andhe had never before seen her look as she did. She was charmingwith the new radiance of happiness in her face. Levin longed tosay something to her, but he did not know whether it was allover. The priest got him out of his difficulty. He smiled hiskindly smile and said gently, "Kiss your wife, and you kiss yourhusband," and took the candles out of their hands.

　　Levin kissed her smiling lips with timid care, gave her his arm,and with a new strange sense of closeness, walked out of thechurch. He did not believe, he could not believe, that it wastrue. It was only when their wondering and timid eyes met thathe believed in it, because he felt that they were one.

　　After supper, the same night, the young people left for thecountry.