of Spanish-Mexican
girls from Guadalajara with coquettish effects of black and yellow about
their dress, now a group of Osterman's tenants, Portuguese, swarthy,
with plastered hair and curled mustaches, redolent of cheap perfumes.
Sarria arrived, his smooth, shiny face glistening with perspiration. He
wore a new cassock and carried his broad-brimmed hat under his arm. His
appearance made quite a stir. He passed from group to group, urbane,
affable, shaking hands right and left; he assumed a set smile of
amiability which never left his face the whole evening.

But abruptly there was a veritable sensation. From out the little crowd
that persistently huddled about the doorway came Osterman. He wore
a dress-suit with a white waistcoat and patent leather pumps--what
a wonder! A little qualm of excitement spread around the barn. One
exchanged nudges of the elbow with one's neighbour, whispering earnestly
behind the hand. What astonishing clothes! Catch on to the coat-tails!
It was a masquerade costume, maybe; that goat Osterman was such a
josher, one never could tell what he would do next.

The musicians began to tune up. From their corner came a medley of
mellow sounds, the subdued chirps of the violins, the dull bourdon of
the bass viol, the liquid gurgling of the flageolet and the deep-toned
snarl of the big horn, with now and then a rasping stridulating of the
snare drum. A sense of gayety began to spread throughout the assembly.
At every moment the crowd increased. The aroma of new-sawn timber
and sawdust began to be mingled with the feminine odour of sachet and
flowers. There was a babel of talk in the air--male baritone and soprano
chatter--varied by an occasional note of laughter and the swish of
stiffly starched petticoats. On the row of chairs that went around three
sides of the wall groups began to settle themselves. For a long time
the guests huddled close to the doorway; the lower end of the floor
was crowded! the upper end deserted; but by degrees the lines of white
muslin and pink and blue sateen extended, dotted with the darker figures
of men in black suits. The conversation grew louder as the timidity of
the early moments wore off. Groups at a distance called back and forth;
conversations were carried on at top voice. Once, even a whole party
hurried across the floor from one side of the barn to the other.

Annixter emerged from the harness room, his face red with wrangling. He
took a position to the right