thou art the merciful God, the lover of mankind, and to thee we offer up
our praise, now and for ever, even unto ages of ages."

The import of this beautiful invocation was at the time, interpreted to
me by a friend well acquainted with the whole service and office of
espousals, the language of which he assured me was all equally
impressive. The priest, next turning round to the couple, blessed them,
and taking the rings from the table, gave one to each, beginning with
the man, and proclaiming aloud that they stood betrothed, "now and for
ever, even unto ages of ages," which declaration he repeated thrice to
them, while they mutually exchanged the rings an equal number of times.
The rings were now again surrendered to the priest, who crossed the
forehead of the couple with them, and put them on the fore-finger
of the right hand of each; and turning to the sanctuary, read another
impressive part of the service, in which an allusion is made to all the
circumstances in the Holy Testament, where a ring is mentioned as the
pledge of union, honour, and power; and prayed the Lord "to bless the
espousals of thy servants, Anna Ivanowna and Nicholai Demetrivich, and
confirm them in thy holy union; for thou in the beginning didst create
them, male and female, and appointed the woman for a help to the man,
and for the succession of mankind. Let thine angel go before them to
guide them all the days of their life." The priest now taking hold of
the hands of both parties, led them forward and caused them to stand on
a silken carpet, which lay spread before them. The congregation usually
watch this moment with intense curiosity, for it is augured that the
party who steps first on the rich brocade will have the mastery over
the other through life. In the present case, our fair bride secured
possession of this prospective privilege with modest forwardness. Two
silver imperial crowns were next produced by a layman, which the priest
took, and first blessing the bridegroom, placed one of them on his head,