Pagina 888 di 1294

Amalia Ivanovna, too, suddenly acquired extraordinary importance

in Katerina Ivanovna's eyes and was treated by her with

extraordinary respect, probably only because Amalia Ivanovna had

thrown herself heart and soul into the preparations. She had

undertaken to lay the table, to provide the linen, crockery,

etc., and to cook the dishes in her kitchen, and Katerina

Ivanovna had left it all in her hands and gone herself to the

cemetery. Everything had been well done. Even the table-cloth was

nearly clean; the crockery, knives, forks and glasses were, of

course, of all shapes and patterns, lent by different lodgers,

but the table was properly laid at the time fixed, and Amalia

Ivanovna, feeling she had done her work well, had put on a black

silk dress and a cap with new mourning ribbons and met the

returning party with some pride.