The Queen thrice made a sign of blessing him with a lit taper, almost touching his forehead, chest and shoulders with the flame.
“In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Tichon, the servant of God, is baptised with fire and the Holy Spirit!” Then with a quick, adroit, and evidently accustomed movement, she opened her dress, and he saw her beautiful naked body, fresh as a young maiden’s, amber coloured, as if carved from ivory.
Yemelian pushed him forward whispering:—
“Kiss the holy womb, the pure breasts.”
Tichon cast his eyes to the ground in confusion.
“Fear not, child!” said Akoulína, and such tenderness was in her voice that Tichon seemed to hear in it the voice of a mother, sister, and beloved all in one.
He remembered how, in the dark wood near the Round Lake, he had buried his head among the grass and kissed the earth, how looking up towards heaven, he had felt that the earth and the sky were one, and how weeping he had prayed:—
O wondrous Queen, Mother of God,
Earth, thou bountiful mother of all.
He reverently kissed the beautiful body thrice, like a holy image. A subtle scent rose from it; a subtle smile flitted across her lips. This scent and the smile terrified him.