"You might as well spare yourselves the trouble of talking about a
thrashing; it's all nonsense; besides, why add to her parents' grief by
going to them? Isn't it bad enough for them already? If we really want
to do something, the best would be to say nothing to anybody, not to get
excited, not to ask anybody's help, and let us make a collection out of
our own pockets. Never mind! God will repay us twice what we give. Let
us choose out two of us, to take him the money quietly, so that no one
shall know, because once a whisper of it gets abroad, it will be carried
over seven seas in no time; you know that walls have ears, and streets,
eyes."

The women had been holding their breath and looking with pleasurable
pride at young Malkehle, married only two months ago and already so
clever! The great thick wall of dread and shame against which they had
beaten their heads had retreated before Malkehle's soft words; they felt
eased; the world grew lighter again. Every one felt envious in her heart
of hearts of her to whose apt and golden speech they had just listened.
Everyone regretted that such an excellent plan had not occurred to
herself. But they soon calmed down, for after all it was a sister who
had spoken, one of their own Pidvorkes. They had never thought that
Malkehle, though she had been considered clever as a girl, would take
part in their debate; and they began to work out a plan for getting
together the necessary money, only so quietly that not a cock should
crow.

And now their perplexities began! Not one of them could give such a
great sum, and even if they all clubbed together, it would still be
impossible. They could manage one hundred, two hundred, three hundred
rubles, but the dowry was six hundred, and now he says, that unless
they give one thousand, he will break off the engagement. What, says he,
there will be a summons out against him? Very likely! He will just risk
it. The question went round: Who kept a store in a knotted handkerchief,
hidden from her husband? They each had such a store, but were all the
contents put together, the half of the sum would not be attained, not by
a long way.

And again there arose a tempest, a great confusion of women's tongues.
Part of the crowd started with fiery eloquence to criticise their
husbands, the good-for-nothings, the slouching lazybones; they proved
that as their husbands did nothing to earn money, but spent all their
time "learning," there was no need to