Gold is the Sunrise [antikvár]

CHAPTER ONE A CROWD had gathered in the village street, for the bridegroom's best men were bringing out the mattress from the nuptial bed. They would carry it on their shoulders, dancing with it and singing and making ribald jokes. Then the bride's maidens woiJd decorate it with ribbons and bounce a baby boy on it. All this light-hearted ritual was concerned with fertility, for there must be children -male children, it was always hoped, for daughters were a liability in a country where every girl had to be provided with a dowry. •Your turn next!' Sprios put his dark face close to that of Hero and laughed loudly. She flinched and turned pale. 'Are you now resigned to being the wife of Takis?' He spoke in Greek and Hero did the same. T'm English!' she quivered, clenching her fists. T won't have my marriage arranged!' 'You've no dioice. Your guardian's a Cypriot and you'll have to obey him. Besides, you've no prika, as you're a poor orphan; you should consider yourself lucky to have iound a husband at all. No house, no marry. That's the custom in Cyprus. The girl who can't bring her husband a dowry remains a spinster all her life!' 'Yassoo, Hero! Soon it will be your bed—* T'll not marry a village lout!' 'Steady now, Hero, steady.' Yannis the butcher came and stood beside her. Tf Petros should hear you it would be severe punishment. He's very grateful to Takis, taking you without a house, and you know full well his parents aren't at all pleased. It's only because they're old and you can look after them that they're agreeing to your living in their house.* Tetros might be my guardian, but he can't force me