Page 880 - the-idiot

The following report of the proceedings on the wedding
day may be depended upon, as coming from eye-witnesses.
The wedding was fixed for eight o’clock in the evening.
Nastasia Philipovna was ready at seven. From six o’clock
groups of people began to gather at Nastasia’s house, at the
prince’s, and at the church door, but more especially at the
former place. The church began to fill at seven.
Colia and Vera Lebedeff were very anxious on the
prince’s account, but they were so busy over the arrange-
ments for receiving the guests after the wedding, that they
had not much time for the indulgence of personal feelings.
There were to be very few guests besides the best men and
so on; only Dana Alexeyevna, the Ptitsins, Gania, and the
doctor. When the prince asked Lebedeff why he had invited
the doctor, who was almost a stranger, Lebedeff replied:
‘Why, he wears an ‘order,’ and it looks so well!’
This idea amused the prince.
Keller and Burdovsky looked wonderfully correct in their
dresscoats and white kid gloves, although Keller caused the
bridegroom some alarm by his undisguisedly hostile glanc-
es at the gathering crowd of sight-seers outside.
At about half-past seven the prince started for the church
in his carriage.
We may remark here that he seemed anxious not to omit
a single one of the recognized customs and traditions ob-
served at weddings. He wished all to be done as openly as
possible, and ‘in due order.’
Arrived at the church, Muishkin, under Keller’s guidance,
passed through the crowd of spectators, amid continuous