the foreigner-第4节

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She　was　further　moved　to　this　decision　by　the　thought　that　inasmuch　as　Jacob　and　she　had　it　in　mind　to　open　a　restaurant　and　hotel　as　soon　as　sufficient　money　was　in　hand；　it　was　important　that　they　should　stand　well　with　the　community；　and　nothing　would　so　insure　popularity　as　abundant　and　good　eating　and　drinking。　　So　to　the　preparation　of　a　feast　that　would　at　once　bring　her　immediate　glory　and　future　profit；　Anka　set　her　shrewd　wits。　　The　providing　of　the　raw　materials　for　the　feast　was　to　her　an　easy　matter；　for　her　experience　in　the　New　West　Hotel　had　taught　her　how　to　expend　to　the　best　advantage　her　carefully　hoarded　wages。　　The　difficulty　was　with　the　cooking。　　Clearly　Paulina　could　not　be　expected　to　attend　to　this；　for　although　her　skill　with　certain　soups　and　stews　was　undoubted；　for　the　finer　achievements　of　the　culinary　art　Paulina　was　totally　unfitted。　　To　overcome　this　difficulty；　Anka　hit　upon　the　simple　but　very　effective　expedient　of　entrusting　to　her　neighbours；　who　would　later　be　her　guests；　the　preparing　of　certain　dishes　according　to　their　various　abilities　and　inclinations；　keeping　close　account　in　her　own　shrewd　mind　of　what　each　one　might　be　supposed　to　produce　from　the　materials　furnished；　and　stimulating　in　her　assistants　the　laudable　ambition　to　achieve　the　very　best　results。　　Hence；　in　generous　quantities　she　distributed　flour　for　bread　and　cakes　in　many　varieties；　rice　and　beans　and　barley；　which　were　to　form　the　staple　portion　of　the　stews；　cabbage　and　beets　and　onions　in　smaller　measurefor　at　this　season　of　the　year　the　price　was　highsides　of　pork；　ropes　of　sausages；　and　roasts　of　beef　from　neck　and　flank。　　Through　the　good　offices　of　the　butcher　boy　that　supplied　the　New　West　Hotel；　purchased　with　Anka's　shyest　smile　and　glance；　were　secured　a　considerable　accumulation　of　shank　bones　and　ham　bones；　pork　ribs　and　ribs　of　beef；　and　other　scraps　too　often　despised　by　the　Anglo…Saxon　housekeeper；　all　of　which　would　prove　of　the　greatest　value　in　the　enrichment　of　the　soups。　　For　puddings　there　were　apples　and　prunes；　raisins　and　cranberries。　　The　cook　of　the　New　West　Hotel；　catching　something　of　Anka's　generous　enthusiasms　offered　pies　by　the　dozen；　and　even　the　proprietor　himself；　learning　of　the　preparations　and　progress；　could　think　of　nothing　so　appropriate　to　the　occasion　as　a　case　of　Irish　whiskey。　　This；　however；　Anka；　after　some　deliberation；　declined；　suggesting　beer　instead；　and　giving　as　a　reason　her　experience；　namely；　that　〃whiskey　make　too　quick　fight；　you　bet。〃　　A　fight　was　inevitable；　but　it　would　be　a　sad　misfortune　if　this　necessary　part　of　the　festivities　should　occur　too　early　in　the　programme。

Gradually；　during　the　days　of　the　week　immediately　preceding　the　ceremony；　there　began　to　accumulate　in　the　shacks　about；　viands　of　great　diversity；　which　were　stored　in　shelves；　in　cupboards；where　there　were　any；under　beds；　and　indeed　in　any　and　every　available　receptacle。　　The　puddings；　soups　and　stews；　which；　after　all；　were　to　form　the　main　portion　of　the　eating；　were　deposited　in　empty　beer　kegs；　of　which　every　shack　could　readily　furnish　a　few；　and　set　out　to　freeze；　in　which　condition　they　would　preserve　their　perfect　flavour。　　Such　diligence　and　such　prudence　did　Anka　show　in　the　supervision　of　all　these　arrangements；　that　when　the　day　before　the　feast　arrived；　on　making　her　final　round　of　inspection；　everything　was　discovered　to　be　in　readiness　for　the　morrow；　with　the　single　exception　that　the　beer　had　not　arrived。　　But　this　was　no　over…sight　on　the　part　of　Jacob；　to　whom　this　portion　of　the　feast　had　been　entrusted。　　It　was　rather　due　to　a　prudence　born　of　experience　that　the　beer　should　be　ordered　to　be　delivered　at　the　latest　possible　hour。　　A　single　beer　keg　is　an　object　of　consuming　interest　to　the　Galician　and　subjects　his　sense　of　honour　to　a　very　considerable　strain；　the　known　presence　of　a　dray　load　of　beer　kegs　in　the　neighbourhood　would　almost　certainly　intensify　the　strain　beyond　the　breaking　point。　　But　as　the　shadows　of　evening　began　to　gather；　the　great　brewery　dray　with　its　splendid　horses　and　its　load　of　kegs　piled　high；　drew　up　to　Paulina's　door。　　Without　loss　of　time；　and　under　the　supervision　of　Rosenblatt　and　Jacob　himself；　the　beer　kegs　were　carried　by　the　willing　hands　of　Paulina's　boarders　down　to　the　cellar；　piled　high　against　the　walls；　and　carefully　counted。　　There　they　were　safe　enough；　for　every　man；　not　only　among　the　boarders　but　in　the　whole　colony；　who　expected　to　be　present　at　the　feast；　having　contributed　his　dollar　toward　the　purchase　of　the　beer；　constituted　himself　a　guardian　against　the　possible　depredations　of　his　neighbours。　　Not　a　beer　keg　from　this　common　store　was　to　be　touched　until　after　the　ceremony；　when　every　man　should　have　a　fair　start。　　For　the　preliminary　celebrations　during　the　evening　and　night　preceding　the　wedding　day　the　beer　furnished　by　the　proprietor　of　the　New　West　Hotel　would　prove　sufficient。

It　was　considered　a　most　fortunate　circumstance　both　by　the　bride　and　groom…elect；　that　there　should　have　appeared　in　the　city；　the　week　before；　a　priest　of　the　Greek　Catholic　faith；　for　though　in　case　of　need　they　could　have　secured　the　offices　of　a　Roman　priest　from　St。　Boniface；　across　the　river；　the　ceremonial　would　thereby　have　been　shorn　of　much　of　its　picturesqueness　and　efficacy。　　Anka　and　her　people　had　little　regard　for　the　services　of　a　Church　to　which　they　owed　only　nominal　allegiance。

The　wedding　day　dawned　clear；　bright；　and　not　too　cold　to　forbid　a　great　gathering　of　the　people　outside　Paulina's　house；　who　stood　reverently　joining　with　those　who　had　been　fortunate　enough　to　secure　a　place　in　Paulina's　main　room；　which　had　been　cleared　of　all　beds　and　furniture；　and　transformed　for　the　time　being　into　a　chapel。　　The　Slav　is　a　religious　man；　intensely；　and　if　need　be；　fiercely；　religious；　hence　these　people；　having　been　deprived　for　long　months　of　the　services　of　their　Church；　joined　with　eager　and　devout　reverence　in　the　responses　to　the　prayers　of　the　priest；　kneeling　in　the　snow　unmoved　by　and　apparently　unconscious　of　the　somewhat　scornful　levity　of　the　curious　crowd　of　onlookers　that　speedily　gathered　about　them。　　For　more　than　two　hours　the　religious　part　of　the　ceremony　continued；　but　there　was　no　sign　of　abating　interest　or　of　waning　devotion；　rather　did　the　religious　feeling　appear　to　deepen　as　the　service　advanced。　　At　length　there　floated　through　the　open　window　the　weirdly　beautiful　and　stately　marriage　chant；　in　which　the　people　joined　in　deep…toned　guttural　fervour；　then　the　benediction；　and　the　ceremony　was　over。　Immediately　there　was　a　movement　toward　the　cellar；　where　Rosenblatt；　assisted　by　a　score　of　helpers；　began　to　knock　in　the　heads　of　the　beer　kegs　and　to　hand　about　tin　cups　of　beer　for　the　first　drinking　of　the　bride's　health。　　Beautiful　indeed；　in　her　husband's　eyes　and　the　eyes　of　all　who　beheld　her；　appeared　Anka　as　she　stood　with　Jacob　in　the　doorway；　radiant　in　the　semi…barbaric　splendour　of　her　Slavonic　ancestry。

This　first　formal　health…drinking　ceremony　over；　from　within　Paulina's　house　and　from　shacks　roundabout；　women　appeared　with　pots　and　pails；　from　which；　without　undue　haste；　but　without　undue　delay；　men　filled　tin　cups　and　tin　pans　with　stews　rich；　luscious；　and　garlic　flavoured。　　The　feast　was　on；　the　Slav's　hour　of　rapture　had　come。　　From　pot　to　keg　and　from　keg　to　pot　the　happy　crowd　would　continue　to　pass　in　alternating　moods　of　joy；　until　the　acme　of　bliss　would　be　attained　when　Jacob；　leading　forth　and　up　and　down　his　lace…decked　bride；　would　fling　the　proud　challenge　to　one　and　all　that　his　bride　was　the　fairest　and　dearest　of　all　brides　ever　known。

Thus　with　full　ceremonial；　with　abundance　of　good　eating；　and　with　multitudinous　libations；　Anka　was　wed。



CHAPTER　IV

THE　UNBIDDEN　GUEST


The　northbound　train　on　the　Northern　Pacific　Line　was　running　away　behind　her　time。　　A　Dakota　blizzard　had　held　her　up　for　five　hours；　and　there　was　little　chance　of　making　time　against　a　heavy　wind　and　a　drifted　rail。　　The　train　was　crowded　with　passengers；　all　impatient　at　the　delay；　as　is　usual　with　passengers。　　The　most　restless；　if　not　the　most　impatient；　of　those　in　the　first…class　car　was　a　foreign…looking　gentleman；　tall；　dark；　and　with　military　carriage。　　A　grizzled　moustache　with　ends　waxed　to　a　needle　point　and　an　imperial　accentuated　his　foreign　military　appearance。　　At　every　pause　the　train　made　at　the　little　wayside　stations；　this　gentleman　became　visibly　more　impatient；　pulling　out　his　watch；　consulting　his　time　table；　and　cursing　the　delay。

Occasionally　he　glanced　out　through　the　window　across　the　white　plain　that　stretched　level　to　the　horizon；　specked　here　and　there　by　infrequent　little　black　shacks　and　by　huge　stacks　of　straw　half　buried　in　snow。　　Suddenly　his　attention　was　arrested　by　a　trim　line　of　small　buildings　cosily　ensconced　behind　a　plantation　of　poplars　and　Manitoba　maples。

〃What　are　those　structures？〃　he　enquired　of　his　neighbour　in　careful　book　English；　and　with　slightly　foreign　accent。

〃What？　　That　bunch　of　buildings。　　That　is　a　Mennonite　village；〃　was　the　reply。

〃Mennonite！　　Ah！〃

〃Yes；〃　replied　his　neighbour。　　〃Dutch；　or　R