"And be thou magnified, O bride, as Sarah! Be thou joyful as Rebecca,
and multiplied as Rachael; delighting in thine own husband, and
observing the bounds of the law, according to the good pleasure of God."

The ceremony now drew to its conclusion, the tapers were extinguished
and taken from the bride and bridegroom, who walking towards the holy
screen were dismissed by the priest, received the congratulations of the
company, and saluted each other. We all now hurried to our carriages,
the youngest to their sledges, and took the direction of the house of
the bride's father, where we were received by that person in his Russian
costume, and with a flowing beard, who conducted the company, at the
sound of a full band of music, into the banqueting-room, already
prepared for about fifty guests, with tables decked with golden
_plateaux_ and vases bearing artificial flowers, mixed with piles
of fruit and _bonbons_. Here a large assemblage of friends had
already met, through which we made our way to an inner room, where the
bride, seated by the side of her mother, and surrounded by matrons and
damsels, received, with becoming modesty, our congratulations. I was
surprised at finding in the gynaeceum of a class of society of this
description, such agreeable and easy manners, untainted by the least
_gaucherie_ or awkward pretensions. My engagement prevented my
remaining to dinner; but I returned time enough in the evening to be
present at the conclusion of the day's ceremony. The dinner had passed
off without any remarkable occurrence, and considering the ominous
quantity of Champagne consumed (a very favourite beverage on all gala
days with the middle classes of society at St. Petersburgh), I found
the party _almost_ philosophical. Toasts to the bride and bridegroom
had been repeatedly drunk, and the night was far advanced when the
_passajonaiatetz_ took the bride by the hand, and conducted her
into the bed-chamber, where he consigned her to the care of all the
married ladies present, himself retiring immediately after. Those
matrons assisted in disrobing her of the bridal vestments, and in
assuming the garb appropriate to the chamber in which they were.
The passajonaiatetz next performed the like office of conducting
the bridegroom to the chamber, who put on his _schlafrock_, or
nightgown, the married ladies having previously retired. These
operations being concluded, the doors of the bed-chamber were thrown
open, and we all w