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her　husband；　Timothy；　as　well。

But　of　Paulina　the　same　could　not　be　said；　for　with　the　passing　months　she　steadily　descended　in　the　scale　of　Mrs。　Fitzpatrick's　regard。　　Paulina　was　undoubtedly　slovenly。　　Her　attempts　at　housekeepingif　housekeeping　it　could　be　calledwere　utterly　contemptible　in　the　eyes　of　Mrs。　Fitzpatrick。　　These　defects；　however；　might　have　been　pardoned；　and　with　patience　and　perseverance　might　have　been　removed；　but　there　were　conditions　in　Paulina's　domestic　relations　that　Mrs。　Fitzpatrick　could　not　forgive。　　The　economic　arrangements　which　turned　Paulina's　room　into　a　public　dormitory　were　abhorrent　to　the　Irish　woman's　sense　of　decency。　　Often　had　she　turned　the　full　tide　of　her　voluble　invective　upon　Paulina；　who；　though　conscious　that　all　was　not　wellfor　no　one　could　mistake　the　flash　of　Mrs。　Fitzpatrick's　eye　nor　the　stridency　of　her　voicereceived　Mrs。　Fitzpatrick's　indignant　criticism　with　a　patient　smile。　　Mrs。　Fitzpatrick；　despairing　of　success　in　her　efforts　with　Paulina；　called　in　the　aid　of　Anka　Kusmuk；　who；　as　domestic　in　the　New　West　Hotel　where　Mrs。　Fitzpatrick　served　as　charwoman　two　days　in　the　week；　had　become　more　or　less　expert　in　the　colloquial　English　of　her　environment。　　Together　they　laboured　with　Paulina；　but　with　little　effect。　　She　was　quite　unmoved；　because　quite　unconscious；　of　moral　shock。　　It　disturbed　Mrs。　Fitzpatrick　not　a　little　to　discover　during　the　progress　of　her　missionary　labours　that　even　Anka；　of　whose　goodness　she　was　thoroughly　assured；　did　not　appear　to　share　her　horror　of　Paulina's　moral　condition。　　It　was　the　East　meeting　the　West；　the　Slav　facing　the　Anglo…Saxon。　　Between　their　points　of　view　stretched　generations　of　moral　development。　　It　was　not　a　question　of　absolute　moral　character　so　much　as　a　question　of　moral　standards。　　The　vastness　of　this　distinction　in　standards　was　beginning　to　dawn　upon　Mrs。　Fitzpatrick；　and　she　was　prepared　to　view　Paulina's　insensibility　to　moral　distinctions　in　a　more　lenient　light；　when　a　new　idea　suddenly　struck　her：

〃But　y're　man；　how　does　he　stand　it？　　Tell　me　that。〃

The　two　Galician　women　gazed　at　each　other　in　silence。　　At　length　Anka　replied　with　manifest　reluctance：

〃She　got　no　man　here。　　Her　man　in　Russia。〃

〃What！〃　exclaimed　Mrs。　Fitzpatrick　in　a　terrible　voice。　　〃An'　do　ye　mane　to　say！　　An'　that　Rosenblattis　he　not　her　husband？　　Howly　Mother　of　God；〃　she　continued　in　an　awed　tone　of　voice；　〃an'　is　this　the　woman　I've　been　havin'　to　do　wid！〃

The　wrath；　the　scorn；　the　repulsion　in　her　eyes；　her　face；　her　whole　attitude；　revealed　to　the　unhappy　Paulina　what　no　words　could　have　conveyed。　　Under　her　sallow　skin　the　red　blood　of　shame　slowly　mounted。　　At　that　moment　she　saw　herself　and　her　life　as　never　before。　　The　wrathful　scorn　of　this　indignant　woman　pierced　like　a　lightning　bolt　to　the　depths　of　her　sluggish　moral　sense　and　awakened　it　to　new　vitality。　　For　a　few　moments　she　stood　silent　and　with　face　aflame；　and　then；　turning　slowly；　passed　into　her　house。　　It　was　the　beginning　of　Paulina's　redemption。



CHAPTER　III

THE　MARRIAGE　OF　ANKA


The　withdrawing　of　Mrs。　Fitzpatrick　from　Paulina's　life　meant　a　serious　diminution　in　interest　for　the　unhappy　Paulina；　but　with　the　characteristic　uncomplaining　patience　of　her　race　she　plodded　on　with　the　daily　routine　at　washing；　baking；　cleaning；　mending；　that　filled　up　her　days。　　There　was　no　break　in　the　unvarying　monotony　of　her　existence。　　She　gave　what　care　she　could　to　the　two　children　that　had　been　entrusted　to　her　keeping；　and　to　her　baby。　It　was　well　for　her　that　Irma；　whose　devotion　to　the　infant　became　an　absorbing　passion；　developed　a　rare　skill　in　the　care　of　the　child；　and　it　was　well　for　them　all　that　the　ban　placed　by　Mrs。　Fitzpatrick　upon　Paulina's　house　was　withdrawn　as　far　as　Irma　and　the　baby　were　concerned；　for　every　day　the　little　maid　presented　her　charge　to　the　wise　and　watchful　scrutiny　of　Mrs。　Fitzpatrick。

The　last　days　of　1884；　however；　brought　an　event　that　cast　a　glow　of　colour　over　the　life　of　Paulina　and　the　whole　foreign　colony。　This　event　was　none　other　than　the　marriage　of　Anka　Kusmuk　and　Jacob　Wassyl；　Paulina's　most　popular　lodger。　　A　wedding　is　a　great　human　event。　　To　the　principals　the　event　becomes　the　pivot　of　existence；　to　the　relatives　and　friends　it　is　at　once　the　consummation　of　a　series　of　happenings　that　have　absorbed　their　anxious　and　amused　attention；　and　the　point　of　departure　for　a　new　phase　of　existence　offering　infinite　possibilities　in　the　way　of　speculation。　　But　even　for　the　casual　onlooker　a　wedding　furnishes　a　pleasant　arrest　of　the　ordinary　course　of　life；　and　lets　in　upon　the　dull　grey　of　the　commonplace　certain　gleams　of　glory　from　the　golden　days　of　glowing　youth；　or　from　beyond　the　mysterious　planes　of　experience　yet　to　be。

All　this　and　more　Anka's　wedding　was　to　Paulina　and　her　people。　　It　added　greatly　to　Paulina's　joy　and　to　her　sense　of　importance　that　her　house　was　selected　to　be　the　scene　of　the　momentous　event。　　For　long　weeks　Paulina's　house　became　the　life　centre　of　the　colony；　and　as　the　day　drew　nigh　every　boarder　was　conscious　of　a　certain　reflected　glory。　　It　is　no　wonder　that　the　selecting　of　Paulina's　house　for　the　wedding　feast　gave　offence　to　Anka's　tried　friend　and　patron；　Mrs。　Fitzpatrick。　　To　that　lady　it　seemed　that　in　selecting　Paulina's　house　for　her　wedding　Anka　was　accepting　Paulina's　standard　of　morals　and　condoning　her　offences；　and　it　only　added　to　her　grief　that　Anka　took　the　matter　so　lightly。

〃I'm　just　affronted　at　ye；　Anka；〃　she　complained；　〃that　ye　can　step　inside　the　woman's　dure。〃

〃Ah；　cut　it　out！〃　cried　Anka；　rejoicing　in　her　command　of　the　vernacular。　　〃Sure；　Paulina　is　no　good；　you　bet；　but　see；　look　at　her　housedere　is　no　Rutenian　house　like　dat；　so　beeg。　　Ah！〃　she　continued　rapturously；　〃you　come　an'　see　me　and　Jacob　dance　de　'czardas；'　wit　Arnud　on　de　cymbal。　　Dat　Arnud　he's　come　from　de　old　country；　an'　he's　de　whole　show；　de　whole　brass　band　on　de　park。〃

To　Anka　it　seemed　an　unnecessary　and　foolish　sacrifice　to　the　demands　of　decency　that　she　should　forego　the　joy　of　a　real　czardas　to　the　music　of　Arnud　accompanying　the　usual　violins。

〃Ye　can　have　it；〃　sniffed　Mrs。　Fitzpatrick　with　emphatic　disdain；　all　the　more　emphatic　that　she　was　conscious；　distinctly　conscious；　of　a　strong　desire　to　witness　this　special　feature　of　the　festivities。　　〃I've　nothing　agin　you；　Anka；　for　it's　a　good　gurrl　ye　are；　but　me　and　me　family　is　respectable；　an'　that　father　Mulligan　can　tell　ye；　for　his　own　mother's　cousin　was　married　till　the　brother　of　me　father's　uncle；　an'　niver　a　fut　of　me　will　go　beyant　the　dure　of　that　scut；　Paulina。〃　　And　Mrs。　Fitzpatrick；　resting　her　hands　upon　her　hips；　stood　the　living　embodiment　of　hostility　to　any　suggested　compromise　with　sin。

But　while　determined　to　maintain　at　all　costs　this　attitude　toward　Paulina　and　her　doings；　her　warmhearted　interest　in　Anka's　wedding　made　her　very　ready　with　offers　of　assistance　in　preparing　for　the　feast。

〃It's　not　much　I　know　about　y're　Polak　atin'；〃　she　said；　〃but　I　can　make　a　batch　of　pork　pies　that　wud　tempt　the　heart　of　the　lowly　Moses　himsilf；　an'　I　can　give　ye　a　bilin'　of　pitaties　that　Timothy　can　fetch　to　the　house　for　ye。〃

This　generous　offer　Anka　gladly　accepted；　for　Mrs。　Fitzpatrick's　pork　pies；　she　knew　from　experience；　were　such　as　might　indeed　have　tempted　so　respectable　a　patriarch　as　Moses　himself　to　mortal　sin。　The　〃bilin'　of　pitaties；〃　which　Anka　knew　would　be　prepared　in　no　ordinary　pot；　but　in　Mrs。　Fitzpatrick's　ample　wash　boiler；　was　none　the　less　acceptable；　for　Anka　could　easily　imagine　how　effective　such　a　contribution　would　be　in　the　early　stages　of　the　feast　in　dulling　the　keen　edge　of　the　Galician　appetite。

The　preparation　for　the　wedding　feast；　which　might　be　prolonged　for　the　greater　part　of　three　days；　was　in　itself　an　undertaking　requiring　careful　planning　and　no　small　degree　of　executive　ability；　for　the　popularity　of　both　bride　and　groom　would　be　sufficient　to　insure　the　presence　of　the　whole　colony；　but　especially　the　reputed　wealth　of　the　bride；　who；　it　was　well　known；　had　been　saving　with　careful　economy　her　wages　at　the　New　West　Hotel　for　the　past　three　years；　would　most　certainly　create　a　demand　for　a　feast　upon　a　scale　of　more　than　ordinary　magnificence；　and　Anka　was　determined　that　in　providing　for　the　feast　this　demand　should　be　fully　satisfied。

For　a　long　time　she　was　torn　between　two　conflicting　desires：　on　the　one　hand　she　longed　to　appear　garbed　in　all　the　glory　of　the　Western　girl's　most　modern　bridal　attire；　on　the　other　she　coveted　the　honour　of　providing　a　feast　that　would　live　for　years　in　the　memory　of　all　who　might　be　privileged　to　be　present。　　Both　she　could　not　accomplish；　and　she　wisely　chose　the　latter；　for　she　shrewdly　reasoned　that；　while　the　Western　bridal　garb　would　certainly　set　forth　her　charms　in　a　new　and　ravishing　style；　the　glory　of　that　triumph　would　be　short…lived　at　best；　and　it　would　excite　the　envy　of　the　younger　members　of　her　own　sex　and　the　criticism　of　the　older　and　more　conservative　of　her　compatriots。

She　was　further　moved　to　this　decision　by　the　thought　that　inasmuch　as　Jacob　and　she　had　it　in　mind　to