Part 7, p. 120 - 138 Summary

The Tour - The guide's narration gives a detailed description of a painting of a lively party, the only point of stillness being a hungry dog looking at a ham being held by the party's host.

The Present - In the minutes before the wedding, Marina greets the arriving guests, many of whom she doesn't recognize. She sits next to Helen, whom she compliments on how pretty she looks. Helen starts to respond, but they are interrupted by the beginning of the ceremony - the beautiful bride, the heartbroken father ("stricken but [who] resolutely delivers her to the handsome young man who has robbed him of his own youth"), the many attendants, the happy family. Narration then slips into the narrative of a wedding in the cellars of the Hermitage, at which Olga recites poetry, Anya sings, and the...