Chapter 12 Chapter Twelve

Here comes May 15th.Everyone has hoped for it, looking forward to its arrival, as if it will never come! We finally waited until May 15th, and in a few hours, the religious wedding will be held in the Raz Cathedral. If the strange events that happened ten days ago still left some worries in our hearts, after the end of the secular wedding, all these worries were swept away.What happened in the drawing room of the Rötlich house did not take place in the city hall. I got up early in the morning.Mark is older than me.I was still undressed when he walked into my room. He had already put on the bridegroom's dress, which was all black like the mourning dress, which was the fashionable dress of gentlemen in the upper class, and the solemn and solemn dress of the men formed a sharp contrast with the gorgeous women.

Mark's face was radiant, and there was no trace of worry on his face. He hugged me excitedly, and I hugged him tightly. "My dear Henry," he said to me, "charge me to remind you..." "The wedding is today!" I said with a smile. "Ha, tell her that since I got to the city hall on time, I'll be on time for the church wedding too! Yesterday, I even put my watch on the clock stand! And you, dear Mark, don't make people wait too long!...You must know that today you are the protagonist, and you are indispensable!...Without you, the wedding cannot be held!"

After he left, I hurriedly finished washing up. It was just 9 o'clock in the morning. We meet at the doctor's house.The limousine should depart from here.In keeping with my promise of being ready to arrive, I arrived early, much to the delight of the bride.I wait in the living room. The people who attended the wedding at the city hall the day before yesterday arrived one after another—in view of the solemn occasion, you might as well call them dignitaries—this time they were all dressed up: black dresses, black vests, black trousers, pure Parisian style, Without the slightest characteristic of Magyar national costumes.The simple ornaments pinned to the buttonholes shine: Mark wears rosettes, doctors and judges wear Austrian and Hungarian pectorals, two officers wear crosses and medals on their imposing frontier uniforms, and I Simply inserted a red sash.

Mira Rothlich, why don't I call her Mira Vidal, since they are united by earthly ties, -- Mira, in a gown of pure white moiré silk, embroidered with orange and orange Floral bolero.The whole outfit is pleasing to the eye.A bridal bouquet was pinned to the side of the breast, and a bridal crown of white tulle hung down from her glamorous blond hair.This flower crown was found by my brother for her, and she would not change it. She walked into the living room with her elegantly dressed mother. She came to me and stretched out her hands. I held her hands tightly with brotherly affection. "Oh, brother, how happy I am!"

Gone are the days of misery, the sufferings of this real family have passed without even a trace!Even Captain Haralan, who seemed to have forgotten everything, squeezed my hand and said: "No... don't think about those things!" The schedule for this day was unanimously agreed by everyone: set off for the church at 9:45, where the governor and dignitaries of Raz City gathered to wait for the arrival of the married couple.After the wedding mass and the signing of the marriage contract in the sacristy of Saint-Michel, there is mutual introduction and congratulations.Then go home and host a luncheon with an estimated fifty or so guests.In the evening, a grand party is held in the residence, and more than 200 invitations have been sent out.

The two-wheeled carriages were still divided as the previous day. In the first carriage, there were the bride, the doctor, Mrs. Rothlich and Judge Naman; in the second carriage, Mark and the other three witnesses.On their return from church, Marc and Mira Rotelich would ride in the same carriage.Additional personnel will be sent to pick up those participating in the wedding honor guard. Mr. Stapak also took steps to maintain order, as it was certain that people would be flocking to the church and the Place Saint-Michel. At 9:45, the horse-drawn carriage set off along the Batiani River embankment, passed through Magyar Square, and entered the most beautiful residential area in Raz via Prince Miloch Street.

The weather was fine and sunny in May.Pedestrians flocked to the church along the sidewalk.All eyes, full of affection and admiration, are cast on the young bride in the first carriage.I see dear Mark is also listed here.From the windows of the carriage, one could glimpse smiling faces, and congratulations came from all directions, making it impossible to welcome. "I am sure," I said, "that I will have fond memories of this city!" "The Hungarians pay homage to their beloved France through you, Monsieur Vidal," Lieutenant Almgard told me, "and they feel sincerely that this marriage will bring a Frenchman into the Rothlich family." joy and blessings."

When approaching the square, the black cart had difficulty moving and walked very slowly. From the bell tower of the church floated the cheerful bell, and the east wind blew, leaving its slight trill in the air.When it was almost 10 o'clock, the melodious bell sounded again from the alarm clock tower, and the high-pitched notes flew into the loud and clear bells of Michel Church. We arrived at the square.I saw the carriages dispatched to welcome guests neatly lined up under the arcades on both sides. The front door of the church was wide open.It was exactly five past ten when our two carriages stopped at the foot of the steps.

Dr. Rothlich was the first to get out of the car, and Mira stepped down with his arm.Mr Naman supported Mrs Rotlich.We also got out of the car with Mark, walked through the dense crowd in the square, and walked into the church. At this time, the large pipe organ in the church played the wedding march composed by the Hungarian composer Konzasch. In Hungary at that time there was a liturgical regulation (this is not found in other Catholic countries); after the wedding mass, the marriage blessing ceremony was held.It doesn't look like a couple, it should be an unmarried man and woman attending the ceremony.Mass is celebrated before marriage.

Mark and Mira walked to the front of the altar and sat in the two chairs prepared for them; the parents and witnesses took their respective seats behind them. All the seats, choirs, and prayer seats were full of people. The guests included the Governor, government officials, military officers, judges, relatives and friends, and celebrities in business circles.There are special seats on the prayer table for the ladies who are gorgeous.The church was full. The choir is a masterpiece built in the 13th century.Its iron bars were packed with onlookers.Those who couldn't get close to the fence stood in the center of the hall, and there were no more vacancies in the hall.

The transepts, sidewalks, and even the steps of the main hall were full of crowds.Women make up the majority of the group, and some women can be glimpsed in typical Magyar attire. Did these good burgesses or peasant girls remember the strange things that had disturbed the city, and they came to church to see them again? ... No, obviously not, as long as they attribute it to the devil a little bit, but in church they can't run wild.Isn't God's majesty enough to make the devil stop? There was a commotion from the right side of the choir.The crowd moved aside to let in the curate, the deacon, the deacon, the deacon, and the children of the choir. The priest of the church stood on the steps in front of the altar, bowed, and sang the first few lines of the "Introduction".At this time, the members of the choir began to sing the prayer. Mira knelt on the altar mat, bowed her head, and prayed sincerely.Mark stood beside her, watching her intently. The mass is grand and grand, and the Catholic Church always pays attention to it when it conducts this solemn ceremony.The pipe organ played hymns for a while, and chorus for a while, and the sound of the piano was melodious, fluttering on the dome of the church. From time to time, there were humming sounds from the main hall, the creaking sound of moving chairs, the sound of seats being turned over, and the footsteps of the police officers in the church patrolling back and forth. They were responsible for the smooth flow of the entire passage of the main hall. Usually, the church is always shrouded in a faint light, and people's souls seem to be bathed in a strong religious atmosphere.From the old stained-glass windows (on which biblical figures were painted in profile), from the narrow windows in the early pointed style, and from the side glass walls came a flickering ray of light.As long as the weather is a little gloomy, the hall, side passages and apse will be darkened, and the flames of the candles on the altar flicker and dance in this mysterious gloom. Today in the church is another scene.The sun was shining brightly, and the round wreaths on the east window and ear window were red.A beam of sunlight passed through the window opening in the apse and fell straight on the podium suspended between the pillars of the main hall, illuminating the distressed face of Hercules who was supporting the podium with his huge shoulders. The bell rang and everyone stood up.After a tumultuous uproar, everyone was silent, listening to the deacon's monotonous reading of the Gospel of St. Martin. Then, the priest of the church turned around and spoke to the bride and groom.He is a gray-haired old man with a low voice.He spoke briefly, but every sentence touched Mira's heartstrings.He praised the virtues of the Rothlichs, her endless care and compassion for the poor.He congratulated the marriage which had brought together a French youth and a Hungarian girl.He prayed to God to bless the couple. At the end of the speech, the parish priest and the secondary parish priest returned to the seats on both sides of the priest.The priest turned to face the altar and recited the prayer of "Dedication". I do not tire of describing the trivial details of that wedding mass here, because they are etched in my mind, because they will never fade from my memory. At this time, from the stage where the organ was placed, there came a loud voice accompanied by a string quartet. It was Gottlieb, a tenor singer well-known among the Magyars, who was singing the dedication hymn. Mark and Mira left their seats and walked to the altar.The priest of the copy church accepted their generous alms.They put their lips on the sacristy (like a kiss) handed by the dean of the priest.The two returned to their seats, ah!Mark has never been so handsome, his whole body is shrouded in a halo of happiness! Next is the woman who raised money to raise money for the sick and the poor.The deacon led them into the choir and into the hall.The only sounds were the moving of chairs, the rustling of skirts and the stamping of feet.Meanwhile, small coins rolled into the purses of these young women. The choir sang a canon in four parts, and the children's high-pitched voices were especially loud.The time for the consecration has come.When the first bell rang, the men stood up and the women knelt on their stools. Mark and Mira knelt on the ground, waiting for a miracle to happen.This supreme holy body has been handed down from generation to generation by priests for thousands of years. In this solemn moment, when all heads are bowed, and all hearts are soaring to heaven, is it not this incomparable piety, this mystical silence, to be remembered for a lifetime? The old priest bent down before the chalice and the loaf, ready to recite the Holy Word.Two assistants knelt on the top of the steps, holding the lower end of his sacrificial cloak so that he would not be inconvenienced when he bowed.A boy in the choir holds a bell and prepares to ring it. The priest uttered two long calls in a deep and slow voice, and there was a sound of approval from below. Suddenly there was a scream, a piercing scream, a blood-curdling scream! The bells in the hands of the choir children flew out of their hands and flew to the altar. The parish priest and the copy parish priest were pushed away. The head priest's lips were trembling, his face was distorted, his eyes were terrified, his arms were trembling, as if he was grabbing something on the back of his hands, trying to hold on, and he was about to fall to the ground.The scream just now came from his mouth. This is what I have seen with my own eyes, and thousands of people can testify to me. The Eucharist loaf was taken from the hands of the old priest, and this holy symbol was seized by a blasphemous hand.Then it was torn to pieces and the crumbs were thrown over the choir. At this moment, a terrible voice sounded, a voice we have long known, the voice of William Stolitz (I heard it, and thousands of people heard it), who stood before the altar, although he was with him at Rotley. Like Qi's family, we can't see his figure: "Trouble befalls the newlyweds... Calamity befalls! . . . " Mira was heartbroken, screamed, and passed out in Mark's arms.