sant girls in their new coats
and beaded head-dresses, and the boys in their embroidered shirts,
with girdles round their waists, stared intently at the new worshipper,
turning their faces straight towards him...Nejdanov, too, looked at
them, and many things rose up in his mind.

After mass, which lasted a very long time--the service of St. Nikolai
the Miraculous is well known to be one of the longest in the Orthodox
Church--all the clergy, at Sipiagin's invitation, returned to his
house, and, after going through several additional ceremonies, such as
sprinkling the room with holy water, they all sat down to an abundant
breakfast, interspersed with the usual congratulations and rather
wearisome talk. The host and hostess, who never took breakfast at such
an early hour, broke the rule on this occasion. Sipiagin even went so
far as to relate an anecdote, quite proper, of course, but nevertheless
amusing, in spite of his dignity and red ribbon, and caused Father
Kiprian to be filled with gratitude and amazement. To show that he, too,
could tell something worth hearing on occasion, the good father related
a conversation he had had with the bishop, when the latter, on a tour
round his diocese, had invited all the clergy of the district to come
and see him at the monastery in the town. "He is very severe with us,"
Father Kiprian assured everyone. "First he questioned us about our
parish, about our arrangements, and then he began to examine us....
He turned to me also: 'What is your church's dedication day?' 'The
Transfiguration of our Lord,' I replied. 'Do you know the hymn for that
day?' 'I think so.' 'Sing it.' 'Thou wert transfigured on the mountain,
Christ our Lord,' I began. 'Stop! Do you know the meaning of the
Transfiguration?' 'To be quite brief,' I replied, 'our Lord wished to
show himself to His disciples in all His glory.' 'Very well,' he said,
'here is a little image in memory of me.' I fell at his feet. 'I thank
you, your Holiness....' I did not go away from him empty-handed."

"I have the honour of knowing his Holiness personally," Sipiagin said
solemnly. "A most worthy pastor!"

"Most worthy!" Father Kiprian agreed; "only he puts too much faith in
the ecclesiastical superintendents!"

Valentina Mihailovna referred to the peasant school, and spoke of
Mariana as the future schoolmistress; the deacon (who had been appointed
supervisor of the school), a man of strong athletic build, with long
waving hair, beari