Everyone seemed too busy to be restful.
An hour later, the wedding was in full swing, and the place was crowded. All the expected guests were present. They were villagers, relatives and old classmates from neighboring counties or other villages; most of them had returned from the cities in advance; quite a few had arrived just before the dinner started. At each table, four long wooden benches were occupied by eight or ten asses. As the dinner was served, the tables were adorned by colorful drinks and colorful dishes. As time passed, the fl oor became more and more decorated with various eaten shells and bones. Among the messy bones and shells was visibly a scatter of reds.