Levin saw it was a joke, but he could not smile.

“Well, how’s it to be then?—­unlighted or lighted candles? that’s the question.”

“Yes, yes, unlighted.”

“Oh, I’m very glad.  The question’s decided!” said Stepan Arkadyevitch, smiling.  “How silly men are, though, in this position,” he said to Tchirikov, when Levin, after looking absently at him, had moved back to his bride.

“Kitty, mind you’re the first to step on the carpet,” said Countess Nordston, coming up.  “You’re a nice person!” she said to Levin.

“Aren’t you frightened, eh?” said Marya Dmitrievna, an old aunt.

“Are you cold?  You’re pale.  Stop a minute, stoop down,” said Kitty’s sister, Madame Lvova, and with her plump, handsome arms she smilingly set straight the flowers on her head.

Dolly came up, tried to say something, but could not speak, cried, and then laughed unnaturally.

Kitty looked at all of them with the same absent eyes as Levin.

Meanwhile the officiating clergy had got into their vestments, and the priest and deacon came out to the lectern, which stood in the forepart of the church.  The priest turned to Levin saying something.  Levin did not hear what the priest said.

“Take the bride’s hand and lead her up,” the best man said to Levin.

It was a long while before Levin could make out what was expected of him.  For a long time they tried to set him right and made him begin again—­because he kept taking Kitty by the wrong arm or with the wrong arm—­till he understood at last that what he had to do was, without changing his position, to take her right hand in his right hand.  When at last he had taken the bride’s hand in the correct way, the priest walked a few paces in front of them and stopped at the lectern.  The crowd of friends and relations moved after them, with a buzz of talk and a rustle of skirts.  Someone stooped down and pulled out the bride’s train.  The church became so still that the drops of wax could be heard falling from the candles.

The little old priest in his ecclesiastical cap, with his long silvery-gray locks of hair parted behind his ears, was fumbling with something at the lectern, putting out his little old hands from under the heavy silver vestment with the gold cross on the back of it.

Stepan Arkadyevitch approached him cautiously, whispered something, and making a sign to Levin, walked back again.

The priest lighted two candles, wreathed with flowers, and holding them sideways so that the wax dropped slowly from them he turned, facing the bridal pair.  The priest was the same old man that had confessed Levin.  He looked with weary and melancholy eyes at the bride and bridegroom, sighed, and putting his right hand out from his vestment, blessed the bridegroom with it, and also with a shade of solicitous tenderness laid the crossed fingers on the bowed head of Kitty.  Then he gave them the candles, and taking the censer, moved slowly away from them.