duties too heavy for him he
transferred the responsibility to some other male member. The
_stopanjica_ (the mistress) was the directress of the house, and the
other women worked under her orders. These people are exceedingly
honest, and in some of the villages no locks are to be found either on
door or chest.

They have a ceremony by which two persons swear friendship before the
altar, and are then called half-brothers or half-sisters. At one time
the usage was also practised between persons of different sex. They are
also tenacious in prosecuting a _vendetta_, and, till about seventy
years ago, there was but one way in which a blood feud could be
extinguished. It was called the _Karvarina_, or price of blood, and its
acceptance was preceded by several very curious ceremonies. The
relations dipped the murdered man's shirt in his blood, and kept it till
he was avenged, or the price of blood was arranged. The family of the
murderer asked for a truce of several weeks, and sent a solemn embassy
of twelve young women with their babies. Arrived at the house, the
babies were put down, and the women wept, asking for peace and pity in
the name of S. John the Baptist, and the putting away of anger for pity
of the little ones. After a time the people of the house picked up the
children and promised to bring to the font twelve of their children yet
unborn to be attendants at the marriage of as many girls, and gave the
mothers a piece of silver, a veil, and a cloth in sign of peace. Then
the relations of the slain chose twenty-four judges, who were entreated
by the other side to serve, and could not refuse, nor might they receive
payment. To the preliminaries of the judgment on the appointed day the
"dance of blood" succeeded. The criminal, with joined hands, and with
the fatal sword at his neck, extricated himself from the slow,
melancholy dance, and cried three times: "Pardon!" The nearest relation
ordered the principal judge to drive him ignominiously away. The judge
obeyed, and struck him to the earth with his foot, but as soon as his
forehead touched the ground he turned and cried again: "In the Name of
God, pardon me!" The dancing stopped, and the dancers burst into tears.
The embittered relative of the murdered man went to him, raised him,
embraced him, and kissed him on the forehead, and, turning to the rest,
cried out: "This man has been my enemy hitherto, but shall be my
friend--my brother--henceforward, to me and to you