Anna Karenina - Part 5

When the ceremony of plighting troth was over, the beadle spread

before the lectern in the middle of the church a piece of pink

silken stuff, the choir sang a complicated and elaborate psalm,

in which the bass and tenor sang responses to one another, and

the priest turning round pointed the bridal pair to the pink silk

rug. Though both had often heard a great deal about the saying

that the one who steps first on the rug will be the head of the

house, neither Levin nor Kitty were capable of recollecting it,

as they took the few steps towards it. They did not hear the

loud remarks and disputes that followed, some maintaining he had

stepped on first, and others that both had stepped on together.

After the customary questions, whether they desired to enter upon

matrimony, and whether they were pledged to anyone else, and

their answers, which sounded strange to themselves, a new

ceremony began. Kitty listened to the words of the prayer,

trying to make out their meaning, but she could not. The feeling

of triumph and radiant happiness flooded her soul more and more

as the ceremony went on, and deprived her of all power of

attention.

They prayed: "Endow them with continence and fruitfulness, and

vouchsafe that their hearts may rejoice looking upon their sons

and daughters." They alluded to God's creation of a wife from

Adam's rib "and for this cause a man shall leave father and

mother, and cleave unto his wife, and they two shall be one

flesh," and that "this is a great mystery"; they prayed that God

would make them fruitful and bless them, like Isaac and Rebecca,

Joseph, Moses and Zipporah, and that they might look upon their

children's children. "That's all splendid," thought Kitty,

catching the words, "all that's just as it should be," and a

smile of happiness, unconsciously reflected in everyone who

looked at her, beamed on her radiant face.

"Put it on quite," voices were heard urging when the priest had

put on the wedding crowns and Shtcherbatsky, his hand shaking in

its 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 radiance

on 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 head

deacon's voice at the last verse, awaited with such impatience by

the outside public. They enjoyed drinking out of the shallow cup

of warm red wine and water, and they were still more pleased when

the priest, flinging back his stole and taking both their hands

in his, led them round the lectern to the accompaniment of bass

voices chanting "Glory to God."