"How do you know that?" quoth the Montenegrin, astonished.
"Because, you see, Ivanka's name has an even number of letters; therefore, she'll outlive her husband."
"I see," replied Zwillievic; "I had never thought of that."
After the lengthy Orthodox service, and its chorographic-like evolutions, Danilo Kvekvic made a short speech to the newly-married couple, whom he blessed, and then the wedding ceremony came to an end.
The nuptial party finally arrived at Milenko's house, followed by an ever-increasing crowd, and when the shouting and the firing began anew, the whole town knew that the bride had arrived at her new home.
Ivanka was received at the door of Milenko's house by his father and mother, and there, after the usual welcome, she was presented with two distaffs, two spindles, and a baby-boy, borrowed for the occasion. The child is to remind her that she is expected to be the mother of many boys, for children are still, in Dalmatia, considered as blessings.
Here, also, the principal apartment had been cleared of all its furniture to make room for the wedding table. At this feast, the givers being people who had seen a great deal of the world and who had adopted new-fangled ideas, married women were also invited.
The banquet, if not exactly choice, was certainly copious, and it reminded one more of the grand Homeric feasts than the modern dinner-parties. It was composed chiefly of huge dishes of rice, whole lambs roasted, fish and fowl; and it was a great joy for the givers of the feast to see that host of friends eating with a good appetite and enjoying themselves.
Before they had sat down a dolibasa, or head-drinker, had been chosen. His functions corresponded, in some degree, with those of the symposiarch of the ancient Greeks. He now presided over the table as an autocrat, and ordered the number of toasts which he thought fit should be drunk.
No sooner had they sat down than the dolibasa uttered a loud "Zivio!" in honour of the beautiful bride; pistols were fired, and forthwith all the guests emptied their glasses. The ladies, however, were excluded from the drinking, for, whenever a "Hip, hip, hurrah!" was uttered, the guests had to drain the contents of their tumblers, and not simply to lift them up to their lips, or, at most, sip a few drops of the wine. As for the poor wretch who could not comply with the dolibasa's orders, he had to leave the table, and some humiliating punishment was invented for him.