InthevillageShikalovolivedtwodressmakers，sisters，belongingtotheFlagellantsect。Thenewclothesfortheweddingwereorderedfromthem，andtheyoftencametotrythemon，andstayedalongwhiledrinkingtea。TheyweremakingVarvaraabrowndresswithblacklaceandbuglesonit，andAksinyaalightgreendresswithayellowfront，withatrain。WhenthedressmakershadfinishedtheirworkTsybukinpaidthemnotinmoneybutingoodsfromtheshop，andtheywentawaydepressed，carryingparcelsoftallowcandlesandtinsofsardineswhichtheydidnotintheleastneed，andwhentheygotoutofthevillageintotheopencountrytheysatdownonahillockandcried。
Anisimarrivedthreedaysbeforethewedding，riggedoutinnewclothesfromtoptotoe。Hehaddazzlingindia-rubbergoloshes，andinsteadofacravatworearedcordwithlittleballsonit，andoverhisshoulderhehadhunganovercoat，alsonew，withoutputtinghisarmsintothesleeves。
Aftercrossinghimselfsedatelybeforetheikon，hegreetedhisfatherandgavehimtensilverroublesandtenhalf-roubles；toVarvarahegaveasmuch，andtoAksinyatwentyquarter-roubles。
Thechiefcharmofthepresentlayinthefactthatallthecoins，asthoughcarefullymatched，werenewandglitteredinthesun。Tryingtoseemgraveandsedatehepurseduphisfaceandpuffedouthischeeks，andhesmeltofspirits。Probablyhehadvisitedtherefreshmentbarateverystation。Andagaintherewasafree-and-easinessabouttheman——somethingsuperfluousandoutofplace。ThenAnisimhadlunchanddrankteawiththeoldman，andVarvaraturnedthenewcoinsoverinherhandandinquiredaboutvillagerswhohadgonetoliveinthetown。
“Theyareallright，thankGod，theygetonquitewell，“saidAnisim。“OnlysomethinghashappenedtoIvanYegorov:hisoldwifeSofyaNikiforovnaisdead。Fromconsumption。Theyorderedthememorialdinnerforthepeaceofhersoulattheconfectioner’sattwoandahalfroublesahead。Andtherewasrealwine。Thosewhowerepeasantsfromourvillage——theypaidtwoandahalfroublesforthem，too。Theyatenothing，asthoughapeasantwouldunderstandsauce！“
“Twoandahalf，“saidhisfather，shakinghishead。
“Well，it’snotlikethecountrythere，yougointoarestauranttohaveasnackofsomething，youaskforonethingandanother，othersjointillthereisapartyofus，onehasadrink——andbeforeyouknowwhereyouareitisdaylightandyou’vethreeorfourroubleseachtopay。AndwhenoneiswithSamorodovhelikestohavecoffeewithbrandyinitaftereverything，andbrandyissixtykopecksforalittleglass。“
“Andheismakingitallup，“saidtheoldmanenthusiastically；
“heismakingitallup，lying！“
“IamalwayswithSamorodovnow。ItisSamorodovwhowritesmyletterstoyou。Hewritessplendidly。AndifIweretotellyou，mamma，“Anisimwentongaily，addressingVarvara，“thesortoffellowthatSamorodovis，youwouldnotbelieveme。WecallhimMuhtar，becauseheisblacklikeanArmenian。Icanseethroughhim，Iknowallhisaffairslikethefivefingersofmyhand，andhefeelsthat，andhealwaysfollowsmeabout，weareregularinseparables。Heseemsnottolikeitinaway，buthecan’tgetonwithoutme。WhereIgohegoes。Ihaveacorrect，trustworthyeye，mamma。Oneseesapeasantsellingashirtinthemarketplace。’Stay，thatshirt’sstolen。’Andreallyitturnsoutitisso:theshirtwasastolenone。“
“Whatdoyoutellfrom？“askedVarvara。
“Notfromanything，Ihavejustaneyeforit。Iknownothingabouttheshirt，onlyforsomereasonIseemdrawntoit:it’sstolen，andthat’sallIcansay。Amongusdetectivesit’scometotheirsaying，’Oh，Anisimhasgonetoshootsnipe！’Thatmeanslookingforstolengoods。Yes。Anybodycansteal，butitisanotherthingtokeep！Theearthiswide，butthereisnowheretohidestolengoods。“
“Inourvillagearamandtwoeweswerecarriedofflastweek，“
saidVarvara，andsheheavedasigh，andthereisnoonetotryandfindthem。Oh，tut，tut。“
“Well，Imighthaveatry。Idon’tmind。“
Thedayoftheweddingarrived。Itwasacoolbutbright，cheerfulAprilday。PeopleweredrivingaboutUkleevofromearlymorningwithpairsorteamsofthreehorsesdeckedwithmany-colouredribbonsontheiryokesandmanes，withajingleofbells。Therooks，disturbedbythisactivity，werecawingnoisilyinthewillows，andthestarlingssangtheirloudestunceasinglyasthoughrejoicingthattherewasaweddingattheTsybukins’。
Indoorsthetableswerealreadycoveredwithlongfish，smokedhams，stuffedfowls，boxesofsprats，pickledsavouriesofvarioussorts，andanumberofbottlesofvodkaandwine；therewasasmellofsmokedsausageandofsourtinnedlobster。OldTsybukinwalkedaboutnearthetables，tappingwithhisheelsandsharpeningtheknivesagainsteachother。TheykeptcallingVarvaraandaskingforthings，andshewasconstantlywithadistractedfacerunningbreathlesslyintothekitchen，wherethemancookfromKostukov’sandthewomancookfromHryminJuniors’
hadbeenatworksinceearlymorning。Aksinya，withherhaircurled，inherstayswithoutherdresson，innewcreakyboots，flewabouttheyardlikeawhirlwindshowingglimpsesofherbarekneesandbosom。
Itwasnoisy，therewasasoundofscoldingandoaths；passers-bystoppedatthewide-opengates，andineverythingtherewasafeelingthatsomethingextraordinarywashappening。
“Theyhavegoneforthebride！“
Thebellsbeganjinglinganddiedawayfarbeyondthevillage……Betweentwoandthreeo’clockpeopleranup:againtherewasajinglingofbells:theywerebringingthebride！Thechurchwasfull，thecandelabrawerelighted，thechoirweresingingfrommusicbooksasoldTsybukinhadwishedit。TheglareofthelightsandthebrightcoloureddressesdazzledLipa；shefeltasthoughthesingerswiththeirloudvoiceswerehittingherontheheadwithahammer。Herbootsandthestays，whichshehadputonforthefirsttimeinherlife，pinchedher，andherfacelookedasthoughshehadonlyjustcometoherselfafterfainting；shegazedaboutwithoutunderstanding。Anisim，inhisblackcoatwitharedcordinsteadofatie，staredatthesamespotlostinthought，andwhenthesingersshoutedloudlyhehurriedlycrossedhimself。Hefelttouchedanddisposedtoweep。Thischurchwasfamiliartohimfromearliestchildhood；atonetimehisdeadmotherusedtobringhimheretotakethesacrament；atonetimeheusedtosinginthechoir；everyikonherememberedsowell，everycorner。Herehewasbeingmarried，hehadtotakeawifeforthesakeofdoingtheproperthing，buthewasnotthinkingofthatnow，hehadforgottenhisweddingcompletely。Tearsdimmedhiseyessothathecouldnotseetheikons，hefeltheavyatheart；heprayedandbesoughtGodthatthemisfortunesthatthreatenedhim，thatwerereadytoburstuponhimto-morrow，ifnotto-day，mightsomehowpasshimbyasstorm-cloudsintimeofdroughtpassoverthevillagewithoutyieldingonedropofrain。
Andsomanysinswereheapedupinthepast，somanysins，allgettingawayfromthemorsettingthemrightwassobeyondhopethatitseemedincongruouseventoaskforgiveness。Buthedidaskforgiveness，andevengavealoudsob，butnoonetookanynoticeofthat，sincetheyallsupposedhehadhadadroptoomuch。
Therewasasoundofafretfulchildishwail:
“Takemeaway，mammadarling！“
“Quietthere！“criedthepriest。
Whentheyreturnedfromthechurchpeopleranafterthem；therewerecrowds，too，roundtheshop，roundthegates，andintheyardunderthewindows。Thepeasantwomencameintosingsongsofcongratulationtothem。Theyoungcouplehadscarcelycrossedthethresholdwhenthesingers，whowerealreadystandingintheouterroomwiththeirmusicbooks，brokeintoaloudchantatthetopoftheirvoices；abandorderedexpresslyfromthetownbeganplaying。FoamingDonwinewasbroughtintallwine-glasses，andElizarov，acarpenterwhodidjobsbycontract，atall，gauntoldmanwitheyebrowssobushythathiseyescouldscarcelybeseen，said，addressingthehappypair:
“Anisimandyou，mychild，loveoneanother，liveinGod’sway，littlechildren，andtheHeavenlyMotherwillnotabandonyou。“
Heleanedhisfaceontheoldfather’sshoulderandgaveasob。
“GrigoryPetrovitch，letusweep，letusweepwithjoy！“hesaidinathinvoice，andthenatonceburstoutlaughinginaloudbassguffaw。“Ho-ho-ho！Thisisafinedaughter-in-lawforyoutoo！Everythingisinitsplaceinher；allrunssmoothly，nocreaking，themechanismworkswell，lotsofscrewsinit。“
HewasanativeoftheYegoryevskydistrict，buthadworkedinthefactoriesinUkleevoandtheneighborhoodfromhisyouthup，andhadmadeithishome。Hehadbeenafamiliarfigureforyearsasoldandgauntandlankyasnow，andforyearshehadbeennicknamed“Crutch。“Perhapsbecausehehadbeenforfortyyearsoccupiedinrepairingthefactorymachineryhejudgedeverybodyandeverythingbyitssoundnessoritsneedofrepair。Andbeforesittingdowntothetablehetriedseveralchairstoseewhethertheyweresolid，andhetouchedthesmokedfishalso。
AftertheDonwine，theyallsatdowntothetable。Thevisitorstalked，movingtheirchairs。Thesingersweresingingintheouterroom。Thebandwasplaying，andatthesametimethepeasantwomenintheyardweresingingtheirsongsallinchorus——andtherewasanawful，wildmedleyofsoundswhichmadeonegiddy。
Crutchturnedroundinhischairandproddedhisneighbourswithhiselbows，preventedpeoplefromtalking，andlaughedandcriedalternately。
“Littlechildren，littlechildren，littlechildren，“hemutteredrapidly。“Aksinyamydear，Varvaradarling，wewillliveallinpeaceandharmony，mydearlittleaxes。“
HedranklittleandwasnowonlydrunkfromoneglassofEnglishbitters。Therevoltingbitters，madefromnobodyknowswhat，intoxicatedeveryonewhodrankitasthoughithadstunnedthem。
