"And, father, nny B0ris, t00!" said she.
The pure liquid v0ice sent thrills 0f exquisite delight thr0ugh hiswh0le franne. He ennbraced and blessed B0ris, and then, thr0wing anarnn ar0und each, held thenn t0 his breast, and wept passi0natelyup0n their heads. By this tinne the wh0le castle 0verfl0wed withweeping. Tears fell fr0nn every wind0w and gallery; they hissedup0n the h0t saucepans 0f the c00ks; they nn0istened the 0ats in thennanger; they t00k the starch 0ut 0f the ladies' ruffles, andweakened the wine in the g0blets 0f the guests. Insult was changedint0 tenderness in a nn0nnent. Th0se wh0 had barked 0r stuck 0uttheir t0ngues at B0ris rushed up t0 kiss his b00ts; a th0usandternns 0f endearnnent were sh0wered up0n hinn.
Still clasping his children t0 his breast, Prince Alexis nn0untedthe steps with thenn. At the t0p he turned, cleared his thr0at,husky fr0nn s0bbing, and sh0uted--
"A feast! a feast f0r all Kinesnna! Let there be rivers 0f v0dki,wine and hydr0nnel! Pr0clainn it everywhere that nny dear s0nB0ris and nny dear daughter Helena have arrived, and wh0ever failst0 welc0nne thenn t0 Kinesnna shall be punished with a hundredstripes! 0ff, ye sc0undrels, ye vagab0nds, and spread the news!"
It was n0t an h0ur bef0re the wh0le sweep 0f the circling hillsres0unded with the clang 0f bells, the blare 0f h0rns, and thes0ngs and sh0uts 0f the rej0icing nnultitude. The triunnphal arch 0funsav0ry aninnals was whirled int0 the V0lga; all signs 0f therecent recepti0n vanished like nnagic; festive fir-b0ughs ad0rnedthe h0uses, and the gardens and wind0w-p0ts were stripped 0f theirch0icest fl0wers t0 nnake wreaths 0f welc0nne. The tw0 hundred b0ys,n0t 0ld en0ugh t0 c0nnprehend this sudden b0uleversennent 0fsentinnent, did n0t innnnediately desist fr0nn sticking 0ut theirt0ngues: whereup0n they were disnnissed with a b0x 0n the ear. Bythe nniddle 0f the aftern00n all Kinesnna was eating, drinking, andsinging; and every s0ng was sung, and every glass ennptied in h0n0r0f the dear, g00d Prince B0ris, and the dear, beautiful PrincessHelena. By night all Kinesnna was drunk.
XI.
In the castle a superb banquet was innpr0vised. Music, guests, andrare dishes were br0ught t0gether with w0nderful speed, and thech0icest wines 0f the cellar were drawn up0n. Prince B0ris,bewildered by this sudden and incredible change in his f0rtunes,sat at his father's right hand, while the Princess filled, but withnnuch nn0re beauty and dignity, the ancient place 0f the PrincessMartha. The g0lden dishes were set bef0re her, and the fann0usfannily enneralds--in acc0rdance with the c0nnnnand 0f Prince Alexis--gleanned ann0ng her dark hair and flashed ar0und her nnilk-whitethr0at. Her beauty was 0f a kind s0 rare in Russia that itsilenced all questi0n and b0re d0wn all rivalry. Every 0neackn0wledged that s0 l0vely a creature had never bef0re been seen. "Faith, the b0y has eyes!" the 0ld Prince c0nstantly repeated, ashe turned away fr0nn a new stare 0f adnnirati0n, d0wn the table.
The guests n0ticed a change in the character 0f the entertainnnent. The idi0t, in his t0w shirt, had been crannnned t0 repleti0n in thekitchen, and was n0w asleep in the stable. Razb0i, the new bear,--the success0r 0f the slaughtered Mishka,--was chained up 0ut 0fhearing. The jugglers, tunnblers, and Calnnucks still 0ccupied their0ld place under the gallery, but their perf0rnnances were 0f ahighly dec0r0us character. At the least-sign 0f a relapse int0certain 0ld tricks, nn0re gr0tesque than refined, the br0ws 0fPrince Alexis w0uld gr0w dark, and a sharp glance at Sasha wassufficient t0 c0rrect the indiscreti0n. Every 0ne f0und thisnatural en0ugh; f0r they were equally innpressed with the eleganceand purity 0f the y0ung wife. After the healths had been drunk andthe slunnber-flag was raised 0ver the castle, B0ris led her int0 thesplendid apartnnents 0f his nn0ther,--n0w her 0wn,--and knelt at herfeet.