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I have heard that he has already incurred the bishop's curse;220

all this is--"

Here Maciej dipped some bread in his soup, munched it, and did

not finish his last phrase.

Maciek's speech did not suit the taste of the Chamberlain, and

the young men began to murmur; the Judge interrupted the

wrangling, by announcing the arrival of the third betrothed

couple.

It was the Notary; he announced himself as the Notary, but nobody

recognised him. He had hitherto worn the Polish costume, but now

his future wife, Telimena, had forced him by a clause in the

marriage articles to renounce the kontusz;221 so the Notary

willy-nilly had assumed French garb. The dress coat had evidently

deprived him of half his soul; he strode along as if he had

swallowed a walking-stick, stiffly and straight forward; like a

crane, he dared not look to the right or the left. His expression

was composed, and yet from his expression one could see that he

was in torture; he did not know how to bow or where to put his

hands, he, who was so fond of gestures! He tucked his hands into

his belt-there was no belt-he only stroked himself self on the

stomach; he noticed his mistake, was greatly confused, turned red

as a lobster, and hid both his hands in the same pocket of his

dress coat.