Pursuingnorecognizedtrack,greatcarewasnecessaryinwalkinglesttheirfacesshouldcomeincontactwiththelow—hangingboughsoftheoldlime—trees,whichinmanyspotsformeddenseover—growthsofinterlacedbranches。
\"Timeshavechangedfromthetimestheyusedtobe,\"saidMail,regardingnobodycantellwhatinterestingoldpanoramaswithaninwardeye,andlettinghisoutwardglancerestontheground,becauseitwasasconvenientapositionasany。\"Peopledon’tcaremuchaboutusnow!I’vebeenthinkingwemustbealmostthelastleftinthecountyoftheoldstringplayers?Barrel—organs,andthethingsnextdoorto’emthatyoublowwi’yourfoot,havecomeinterriblyoflateyears。\"
\"Ay!\"saidBowman,shakinghishead;andoldWilliam,onseeinghim,didthesamething。
\"More’sthepity,\"repliedanother。\"Timewas——longandmerryagonow!——whennotoneofthevarmitswastobeheardof;butitservedsomeofthequiresright。Theyshouldhavestucktostringsaswedid,andkeptoutclarinets,anddoneawaywithserpents。Ifyou’dthriveinmusicalreligion,sticktostrings,saysI。\"
\"Stringsbesafesoul—lifters,asfarasthatdogo,\"saidMr。
Spinks。
\"Yetthere’sworsethingsthanserpents,\"saidMr。Penny。\"Oldthingspassaway,’tistrue;butaserpentwasagoodoldnote:adeeprichnotewastheserpent。\"
\"Clar’nets,however,bebadatalltimes,\"saidMichaelMail。\"OneChristmas——yearsagonenow,years——Iwenttheroundswi’theWeatherburyquire。’Twasahardfrostynight,andthekeysofalltheclar’netsfroze——ah,theydidfreeze!——sothat’twaslikedrawingacorkeverytimeakeywasopened;andtheplayerso’’emhadtogointoahedger—and—ditcher’schimley—corner,andthawtheirclar’netseverynowandthen。Anicicleo’spethungdownfromtheendofeveryman’sclar’netaspanlong;andastofingers——well,there,ifye’llbelieveme,webadnofingersatall,toourknowing。\"
\"Icanwellbringbacktomymind,\"saidMr。Penny,\"whatIsaidtopoorJosephRyme(whotookthetreblepartinChalk—NewtonChurchfortwo—and—fortyyear)whentheythoughtofhavingclar’netsthere。
\"Joseph,\"Isaid,saysI,\"dependupon’t,ifsobeyouhavethemtootingclar’netsyou’llspoilthewholeset—out。Clar’netswerenotmadefortheserviceoftheLard;youcanseeitbylookingat’em,\"Isaid。Andwhatcameo’t?Why,souls,theparsonsetupabarrel—organonhisownaccountwithintwoyearso’thetimeI
spoke,andtheoldquirewenttonothing。\"
\"Asfaraslookisconcerned,\"saidthetranter,\"Idon’tformypartseethatafiddleismuchnearerheaventhanaclar’net。’Tisfurtheroff。There’salwaysarakish,scampishtwistaboutafiddle’slooksthatseemstosaytheWickedOnehadahandinmakingo’en;whileangelsbesupposedtoplayclar’netsinheaven,orsom’atlike’em,ifyemaybelievepicters。\"
\"RobertPenny,youwasintheright,\"brokeintheeldestDewy。
\"Theyshouldha’stucktostrings。Yourbrass—manisaraftingdog—
—wellandgood;yourreed—manisadabatstirringye——wellandgood;yourdrum—manisararebowel—shaker——goodagain。ButIdon’tcarewhohearsmesayit,nothingwillspaktoyourheartwi’thesweetnesso’themanofstrings!\"
\"Stringsforever!\"saidlittleJimmy。
\"Stringsalonewouldhaveheldtheirgroundagainstallthenewcomersincreation。\"(\"True,true!\"saidBowman。)\"Butclarinetswasdeath。\"(\"Deaththeywas!\"saidMr。Penny。)\"Andharmonions,\"
Williamcontinuedinaloudervoice,andgettingexcitedbythesesignsofapproval,\"harmonionsandbarrel—organs\"(\"Ah!\"andgroansfromSpinks)\"bemiserable——whatshallIcall’em?——miserable——\"
\"Sinners,\"suggestedJimmy,whomadelargestrideslikethemen,anddidnotlagbehindliketheotherlittleboys。
\"Miserabledumbledores!\"
\"Right,William,andsotheybe——miserabledumbledores!\"saidthechoirwithunanimity。
Bythistimetheywerecrossingtoagateinthedirectionoftheschool,which,standingonaslighteminenceatthejunctionofthreeways,nowroseinunvaryinganddarkflatnessagainstthesky。
Theinstrumentswereretuned,andallthebandenteredtheschoolenclosure,enjoinedbyoldWilliamtokeepuponthegrass。
\"Numberseventy—eight,\"hesoftlygaveoutastheyformedroundinasemicircle,theboysopeningthelanternstogetaclearerlight,anddirectingtheirraysonthebooks。
Thenpassedforthintothequietnightanancientandtime—wornhymn,embodyingaquaintChristianityinwordsorallytransmittedfromfathertosonthroughseveralgenerationsdowntothepresentcharacters,whosangthemoutrightearnestly:
\"RememberAdam’sfall,OthouMan:
RememberAdam’sfallFromHeaventoHell。
RememberAdam’sfallHowhehathcondemn’dallInHellperpetualTherefortodwell。
RememberGod’sgoodnesse,OthouMan:
RememberGod’sgoodnesse,Hispromisemade。
RememberGod’sgoodnesse;
HesentHisSonsinlesseOurailsfortoredress;
BenotafraidInBethlehemHewasborn,OthouMan:
InBethlehemHewasborn,Formankind’ssake。
InBethlehemHewasborn,Christmas—dayi’themorn:
OurSaviourthoughtnoscornOurfaultstotake。
GivethankstoGodalway,OthouMan:
GivethankstoGodalwayWithheart—mostjoy。
GivethankstoGodalwayOnthisourjoyfulday:
Letallmensingandsay,Holy,Holy!\"
Havingconcludedthelastnote,theylistenedforaminuteortwo,butfoundthatnosoundissuedfromtheschoolhouse。
\"Fourbreaths,andthen,\"O,whatunboundedgoodness!\"numberfifty—
nine,\"saidWilliam。
Thiswasdulygonethrough,andnonoticewhateverseemedtobetakenoftheperformance。
\"Goodguideus,surely’tisn’ta’emptyhouse,asbefellusintheyearthirty—nineandforty—three!\"saidoldDewy。
\"Perhapsshe’sjistcomefromsomemusicalcity,andsneersatourdoings?\"thetranterwhispered。
\"’Odrabbither!\"saidMr。Penny,withanannihilatinglookatacorneroftheschoolchimney,\"Idon’tquitestomachher,ifthisisit。Yourplainmusicwelldoneisasworthyasyourothersortdonebad,a’b’lieve,souls;sosayI。\"
\"Fourbreaths,andthenthelast,\"saidtheleaderauthoritatively。
\"’Rejoice,yeTenantsoftheEarth,’numbersixty—four。\"
Attheclose,waitingyetanotherminute,hesaidinaclearloudvoice,ashehadsaidinthevillageatthathourandseasonforthepreviousfortyyears——\"AmerryChristmastoye!\"
CHAPTERV:THELISTENERS
Whentheexpectantstillnessconsequentupontheexclamationhadnearlydiedoutofthemall,anincreasinglightmadeitselfvisibleinoneofthewindowsoftheupperfloor。Itcamesoclosetotheblindthattheexactpositionoftheflamecouldbeperceivedfromtheoutside。Remainingsteadyforaninstant,theblindwentupwardfrombeforeit,revealingtothirtyconcentratedeyesayounggirl,framedasapicturebythewindowarchitrave,andunconsciouslyilluminatinghercountenancetoavividbrightnessbyacandlesheheldinherlefthand,closetoherface,herrighthandbeingextendedtothesideofthewindow。Shewaswrappedinawhiterobeofsomekind,whilstdownhershouldersfellatwiningprofusionofmarvellouslyrichhair,inawilddisorderwhichproclaimedittobeonlyduringtheinvisiblehoursofthenightthatsuchaconditionwasdiscoverable。Herbrighteyeswerelookingintothegreyworldoutsidewithanuncertainexpression,oscillatingbetweencourageandshyness,which,assherecognizedthesemicirculargroupofdarkformsgatheredbeforeher,transformeditselfintopheasantresolution。
Openingthewindow,shesaidlightlyandwarmly——\"Thankyou,singers,thankyou!\"
Togetherwentthewindowquicklyandquietly,andtheblindstarteddownwardonitsreturntoitsplace。Herfairforeheadandeyesvanished;herlittlemouth;herneckandshoulders;allofher。
Thenthespotofcandlelightshonenebulouslyasbefore;thenitmovedaway。
\"Howpretty!\"exclaimedDickDewy。
\"Ifshe’dbeenralewexworkshecouldn’tha’beencomelier,\"saidMichaelMail。
\"AsnearathingtoaspiritualvisionaseverIwishtosee!\"saidtranterDewy。
\"O,sichInever,neversee!\"saidLeaffervently。
Alltherest,afterclearingtheirthreatsandadjustingtheirhats,agreedthatsuchasightwasworthsingingfor。
\"NowtoFarmerShiner’s,andthenreplenishourinsides,father?\"
saidthetranter。
\"Wi’allmyheart,\"saidoldWilliam,shoulderinghisbass—viol。
FarmerShiner’swasaqueerlumpofahouse,standingatthecornerofalanethatranintotheprincipalthoroughfare。Theupperwindowsweremuchwiderthantheywerehigh,andthisfeature,togetherwithabroadbay—windowwherethedoormighthavebeenexpected,gaveitbydaytheaspectofahumancountenanceturnedaskance,andwearingaslyandwickedleer。To—nightnothingwasvisiblebuttheoutlineoftheroofuponthesky。
Thefrontofthisbuildingwasreached,andthepreliminariesarrangedasusual。
\"Fourbreaths,andnumberthirty—two,’BeholdtheMorningStar,’\"
saidoldWilliam。
Theyhadreachedtheendofthesecondverse,andthefiddlersweredoingtheupbow—strokepreviouslytopouringforththeopeningchordofthethirdverse,when,withoutalightappearingoranysignalbeinggiven,aroaringvoiceexclaimed—
\"Shutup,woll’ee!Don’tmakeyourblaringrowhere!Afellerwi’
aheadacheenoughtosplithisskulllikesaquietnight!\"
Slamwentthewindow。
\"Hullo,that’sa’uglyblowforwe!\"saidthetranter,inakeenlyappreciativevoice,andturningtohiscompanions。
\"Finishthecarrel,allwhobefriendsofharmony!\"commandedoldWilliam;andtheycontinuedtotheend。
\"Fourbreaths,andnumbernineteen!\"saidWilliamfirmly。\"Giveithimwell;thequirecan’tbeinsultedinthismanner!\"
Alightnowflashedintoexistence,thewindowopened,andthefarmerstoodrevealedasoneinaterrificpassion。
\"Drownen!——drownen!\"thetrantercried,fiddlingfrantically。
\"Playfortissimy,anddrownhisspaking!\"
\"Fortissimy!\"saidMichaelMail,andthemusicandsingingwaxedsoloudthatitwasimpossibletoknowwhatMr。Shinerhadsaid,wassaying,orwasabouttosay;butwildlyflinginghisarmsandbodyaboutintheformsofcapitalXsandYs,heappearedtoutterenoughinvectivestoconsignthewholeparishtoperdition。
\"Veryonseemly——very!\"saidoldWilliam,astheyretired。\"Neversuchadreadfulsceneinthewholeroundo’mycarrelpractice——
never!Andheachurchwarden!\"
\"Onlyadrapo’drinkgotintohishead,\"saidthetranter。\"Man’swellenoughwhenhe’sinhisreligiousframe。He’sinhisworldlyframenow。Mustaskentoourbitofapartyto—morrownight,I
suppose,andsoputeninhumouragain。Webearnomortalmanill—
will。\"
TheynowcrossedMellstockBridge,andwentalonganemboweredpathbesidetheFroomtowardsthechurchandvicarage,meetingVosswiththehotmeadandbread—and—cheeseastheywereapproachingthechurchyard。Thisdeterminedthemtoeatanddrinkbeforeproceedingfurther,andtheyenteredthechurchandascendedtothegallery。
Thelanternswereopened,andthewholebodysatroundagainstthewallsonbenchesandwhateverelsewasavailable,andmadeaheartymeal。Inthepausesofconversationtherecouldbeheardthroughtheflooroverheadalittleworldofundertonesandcreaksfromthehaltingclockwork,whichneverspreadfurtherthanthetowertheywerebornin,andraisedinthemoremeditativemindsafancythatherehaythedirectpathwayofTime。
Havingdoneeatinganddrinking,theyagaintunedtheinstruments,andoncemorethepartyemergedintothenightair。
\"Where’sDick?\"saidoldDewy。
Everymanhookedrounduponeveryotherman,asifDickmighthavebeentransmutedintooneortheother;andthentheysaidtheydidn’tknow。
\"Wellnow,that’swhatIcallverynastyofMasterDicky,thatI
do,\"saidMichaelMail。
\"He’veclinkedoffhome—along,dependupon’t,\"anothersuggested,thoughnotquitebelievingthathehad。
\"Dick!\"exclaimedthetranter,andhisvoicerolledsonorouslyforthamongtheyews。
Hesuspendedhismusclesrigidasstonewhilstlisteningforananswer,andfindinghelistenedinvain,turnedtotheassemblage。
\"Thetreblemantoo!Nowifhe’dbeenatenororcounterchap,wemightha’contrivedtheresto’twithouten,yousee。Butforaquiretolosethetreble,why,mysonnies,youmaysowellloseyour……\"Thetranterpaused,unabletomentionanimagevastenoughfortheoccasion。
\"Yourheadatonce,\"suggestedMr。Penny。
Thetrantermovedapace,asifitwerepuerileofpeopletocompletesentenceswhenthereweremorepressingthingstobedone。
\"Waseverheardsuchathingasayoungmanleavinghisworkhalfdoneandturningtaillikethis!\"
\"Never,\"repliedBowman,inatonesignifyingthathewasthelastmanintheworldtowishtowithholdtheformalfinishrequiredofhim。
\"Ihopenofataltragedyhasovertookthehad!\"saidhisgrandfather。
\"Ono,\"repliedtranterDewyplacidly。\"Wonderwherehe’sputthattherefiddleofhis。Whythatfiddlecostthirtyshillings,andgoodwordsbesides。Somewhereinthedamp,withoutdoubt;thatinstrumentwillbeungluedandspoiltintenminutes——ten!ay,two。\"
\"Whatinthenameo’righteousnesscanhavehappened?\"saidoldWilliam,moreuneasily。\"Perhapshe’sdrownded!\"
\"Leavingtheirlanternsandinstrumentsinthebelfrytheyretracedtheirstepsalongthewatersidetrack。\"AstrappingladlikeDickd’knowbetterthanletanythinghappenonawares,\"Reubenremarked。
\"There’ssuretobesomepoorlittlescramreasonfor’tstaringusinthefaceallthewhile。\"Heloweredhisvoicetoamysterioustone:’Neighbours,haveyenoticedanysignofascornfulwomaninhishead,orsuchlike?\"
\"Notaglimmerofsuchabody。He’sasclearaswateryet。\"
\"AndDickysaidheshouldnevermarry,\"criedJimmy,\"butliveathomealwaysalongwi’motherandwe!\"
\"Ay,ay,mysonny;everyhadhassaidthatinhistime。\"
TheyhadnowagainreachedtheprecinctsofMr。Shiner’s,buthearingnobodyinthatdirection,oneortwowentacrosstotheschoolhouse。Alightwasstillburninginthebedroom,andthoughtheblindwasdown,thewindowhadbeenslightlyopened,asiftoadmitthedistantnotesofthecarollerstotheearsoftheoccupantoftheroom。
Oppositethewindow,leaningmotionlessagainstabeechtree,wasthelostman,hisarmsfolded,hisheadthrownback,hiseyesfixedupontheilluminatedlattice。
\"Why,Dick,isthatthee?Whatb’stdoinghere?\"
Dick’sbodyinstantlyflewintoamorerationalattitude,andhisheadwasseentoturneastandwestinthegloom,asifendeavouringtodiscernsomeproperanswertothatquestion;andatlasthesaidinratherfeebleaccents——\"Nothing,father。\"
\"Th’sttakelongenoughtimeaboutitthen,uponmybody,\"saidthetranter,astheyallturnedanewtowardsthevicarage。
\"Ithoughtyouhadn’tdonehavingsnapinthegallery,\"saidDick。
\"Why,we’vebeentraypsingandramblingabout,lookingeverywhere,andthinkingyou’ddonefiftydeathlythings,andherehaveyoubeenatnothingatall!\"
\"Thestupidnessliesinthatpointofitbeingnothingatall,\"
murmuredMr。Spinks。
Thevicaragefrontwastheirnextfieldofoperation,andMr。
Maybold,thelately—arrivedincumbent,dulyreceivedhisshareofthenight’sharmonies。Itwashopedthatbyreasonofhisprofessionhewouldhavebeenledtoopenthewindow,andanextracarolinquicktimewasaddedtodrawhimforth。ButMr。Mayboldmadenostir。
\"Abadsign!\"saidoldWilliam,shakinghishead。
However,atthatsameinstantamusicalvoicewasheardexclaimingfrominnerdepthsofbedclothes——\"Thanks,villagers!\"
\"Whatdidhesay?\"askedBowman,whowasratherdullofhearing。
Bowman’svoice,beingthereforeloud,hadbeenheardbythevicarwithin。
\"Isaid,’Thanks,villagers!’\"criedthevicaragain。
\"Oh,wedidn’thear’eethefirsttime!\"criedBowman。
\"Nowdon’tforheaven’ssakespoiltheyoungman’stemperbyansweringlikethat!\"saidthetranter。
\"Youwon’tdothat,myfriends!\"thevicarshouted。
\"Welltobesure,whatears!\"saidMr。Pennyinawhisper。\"Beatsanyhorseordogintheparish,anddependupon’t,that’sasignhe’sapropercleverchap。\"
\"Weshallseethatintime,\"saidthetranter。
OldWilliam,inhisgratitudeforsuchthanksfromacomparativelynewinhabitant,wasanxioustoplayallthetunesoveragain;butrenouncedhisdesireonbeingremindedbyReubenthatitwouldbebesttoleavewellalone。
\"Nowputtingtwoandtwotogether,\"thetrantercontinued,astheywenttheirwayoverthehill,andacrosstothelastremaininghouses;\"thatis,intheformofthatyoungfemalevisionwezeedjustnow,andthisyoungtenor—voicedparson,mybeliefisshe’llwindenroundherfinger,andtwisttheporeyoungfelleraboutlikethefigureof8——thatshewillso,mysonnies。\"
CHAPTERVI:CHRISTMASMORNING
Thechoiratlastreachedtheirbeds,andsleptliketherestoftheparish。Dick’sslumbers,throughthethreeorfourhoursremainingforrest,weredisturbedandslight;anexhaustivevariationupontheincidentsthathadpassedthatnightinconnectionwiththeschool—windowgoingoninhisbraineverymomentofthetime。
Inthemorning,dowhathewould——goupstairs,downstairs,outofdoors,speakofthewindandweather,orwhatnot——hecouldnotrefrainfromanunceasingrenewal,inimagination,ofthatinterestingenactment。Tiltedontheedgeofonefoothestoodbesidethefireplace,watchinghismothergrillingrashers;buttherewasnothingingrilling,hethought,unlesstheVisiongrilled。Thelimprasherhungdownbetweenthebarsofthegridironlikeacatinachild’sarms;buttherewasnothinginsimiles,unlessSheutteredthem。Helookedatthedaylightshadowsofayellowhue,dancingwiththefirelightshadowsinblueonthewhitewashedchimneycorner,buttherewasnothinginshadows。
\"Perhapsthenewyoungwom——sch——MissFancyDaywillsinginchurchwithusthismorning,\"hesaid。
Thetranterlookedalongtimebeforehereplied,\"Ifancyshewill;
andyetIfancyshewon’t。\"
Dickimpliedthatsucharemarkwasrathertobetoleratedthanadmired;thoughdeliberatenessinspeechwasknowntohave,asarule,moretodowiththemachineryofthetranter’sthroatthanwiththematterenunciated。
Theymadepreparationsforgoingtochurchasusual;Dickwithextremealacrity,thoughhewouldnotdefinitelyconsiderwhyhewassoreligious。Hiswonderfulnicetyinbrushingandcleaninghisbestlightbootshadfeatureswhichelevatedittotherankofanart。Everyparticleandspeckoflastweek’smudwasscrapedandbrushedfromtoeandheel;newblackingfromthepacketwascarefullymixedandmadeuseof,regardlessofexpense。Acoatwaslaidonandpolished;thenanothercoatforincreasedblackness;andlastlyathird,togivetheperfectandmirror—likejetwhichthehoped—forrencounterdemanded。
ItbeingChristmas—day,thetranterpreparedhimselfwithSundayparticularity。Loudsousingandsnortingnoiseswereheardtoproceedfromatubinthebackquartersofthedwelling,proclaimingthathewasthereperforminghisgreatSundaywash,lastinghalf—an—
hour,towhichhiswashingsonworking—daymorningsweremereflashesinthepan。Vanishingintotheouthousewithalargebrowntowel,andtheabove—namedbubblingsandsnortingsbeingcarriedonforabouttwentyminutes,thetranterwouldappearroundtheedgeofthedoor,smellinglikeasummerfog,andlookingasifhehadjustnarrowlyescapedawaterygravewiththelossofmuchofhisclothes,havingsincebeenweepingbitterlytillhiseyeswerered;
acrystaldropofwaterhangingornamentallyatthebottomofeachear,oneatthetipofhisnose,andothersintheformofspanglesabouthishair。
Afteragreatdealofcrunchinguponthesandedstonefloorbythefeetoffather,son,andgrandsonastheymovedtoandfrointhesepreparations,thebass—violandfiddlesweretakenfromtheirnook,andthestringsexaminedandscrewedalittleaboveconcert—pitch,thattheymightkeeptheirtonewhentheservicebegan,toobviatetheawkwardcontingencyofhavingtoretunethematthebackofthegalleryduringacough,sneeze,oramen——aninconveniencewhichhadbeenknowntoariseindampwintryweather。
ThethreeleftthedoorandpaceddownMellstock—laneandacrosstheewe—lease,bearingundertheirarmstheinstrumentsinfadedgreen—
baizebags,andoldbrownmusic—booksintheirhands;Dickcontinuallyfindinghimselfinadvanceoftheothertwo,andthetrantermovingonwithtoesturnedoutwardstoanenormousangle。
Atthefootofaninclinethechurchbecamevisiblethroughthenorthgate,or’churchhatch,’asitwascalledhere。Sevenagilefiguresinaclumpwereobservablebeyond,whichprovedtobethechoristerswaiting;sittingonanaltar—tombtopassthetime,andlettingtheirheelsdangleagainstit。Themusiciansbeingnowinsight,theyouthfulpartyscamperedoffandrattleduptheoldwoodenstairsofthegallerylikearegimentofcavalry;theotherboysoftheparishwaitingoutsideandobservingbirds,cats,andothercreaturestillthevicarentered,whentheysuddenlysubsidedintosoberchurch—goers,andpasseddowntheaislewithechoingheels。
ThegalleryofMellstockChurchhadastatusandsentimentofitsown。Astrangertherewasregardedwithafeelingaltogetherdifferingfromthatofthecongregationbelowtowardshim。Banishedfromthenaveasanintruderwhomnooriginalitycouldmakeinteresting,hewasreceivedaboveasacuriositythatnounfitnesscouldrenderdull。Thegallery,too,lookeddownuponandknewthehabitsofthenavetoitsremotestpeculiarity,andhadanextensivestockofexclusiveinformationaboutit;whilstthenaveknewnothingofthegalleryfolk,asgalleryfolk,beyondtheirloud—
soundingminimsandchestnotes。Suchtopicsasthattheclerkwasalwayschewingtobaccoexceptatthemomentofcryingamen;thathehadadust—holeinhispew;thatduringthesermoncertainyoungdaughtersofthevillagehadleftoffcaringtoreadanythingsomildasthemarriageserviceforsomeyears,andnowregularlystudiedtheonewhichchronologicallyfollowsit;thatapairofloverstouchedfingersthroughaknot—holebetweentheirpewsinthemannerordainedbytheirgreatexemplars,PyramusandThisbe;thatMrs。Ledlow,thefarmer’swife,countedhermoneyandreckonedherweek’smarketingexpensesduringthefirstlesson——allnewstothosebelow——werestalesubjectshere。
OldWilliamsatinthecentreofthefrontrow,hisvioloncellobetweenhiskneesandtwosingersoneachhand。Behindhim,ontheleft,camethetreblesingersandDick;andontherightthetranterandthetenors。FartherbackwasoldMailwiththealtosandsupernumeraries。
Butbeforetheyhadtakentheirplaces,andwhilsttheywerestandinginacircleatthebackofthegallerypractisingapsalmortwo,Dickcasthiseyesoverhisgrandfather’sshoulder,andsawthevisionofthepastnightentertheporch—doorasmethodicallyasifshehadneverbeenavisionatall。Anewatmosphereseemedsuddenlytobepuffedintotheancientedificebyhermovement,whichmadeDick’sbodyandsoultinglewithnovelsensations。
DirectedbyShiner,thechurchwarden,sheproceededtothesmallaisleonthenorthsideofthechancel,aspotnowallottedtoathrongofSunday—schoolgirls,anddistinctlyvisiblefromthegallery—frontbylookingunderthecurveofthefurthermostarchonthatside。
Beforethismomentthechurchhadseemedcomparativelyempty——nowitwasthronged;andasMissFancyrosefromherkneesandlookedaroundherforapermanentplaceinwhichtodepositherself——
finallychoosingtheremotestcorner——Dickbegantobreathemorefreelythewarmnewairshehadbroughtwithher;tofeelrushingsofblood,andtohaveimpressionsthattherewasatiebetweenherandhimselfvisibletoallthecongregation。
EverafterwardstheyoungmancouldrecollectindividuallyeachpartoftheserviceofthatbrightChristmasmorning,andthetriflingoccurrenceswhichtookplaceasitsminutesslowlydrewalong;thedutiesofthatdaydividingthemselvesbyacompletelinefromtheservicesofothertimes。Thetunestheythatmorningessayedremainedwithhimforyears,apartfromallothers;alsothetext;
alsotheappearanceofthelayerofdustuponthecapitalsofthepiers;thattheholly—boughinthechancelarchwaywashungalittleoutofthecentre——alltheideas,inshort,thatcreepintothemindwhenreasonisonlyexercisingitslowestactivitythroughtheeye。
Bychanceorbyfate,anotheryoungmanwhoattendedMellstockChurchonthatChristmasmorninghadtowardstheendoftheservicethesameinstinctiveperceptionofaninterestingpresence,intheshapeofthesamebrightmaiden,thoughhisemotionreachedafarlessdevelopedstage。Andtherewasthisdifference,too,thatthepersoninquestionwassurprisedathiscondition,andsedulouslyendeavouredtoreducehimselftohisnormalstateofmind。Hewastheyoungvicar,Mr。Maybold。
ThemusiconChristmasmorningswasfrequentlybelowthestandardofchurch—performancesatothertimes。Theboysweresleepyfromtheheavyexertionsofthenight;themenwereslightlywearied;andnow,inadditiontotheseconstantreasons,therewasadampnessintheatmospherethatstillfurtheraggravatedtheevil。Theirstrings,fromtherecentlongexposuretothenightair,rosewholesemitones,andsnappedwithaloudtwangatthemostsilentmoment;
whichnecessitatedmoreretiringthanevertothebackofthegallery,andmadethegallerythroatsquitehuskywiththequantityofcoughingandhemmingrequiredfortuningin。Thevicarlookedcross。
Whenthesingingwasinprogresstherewassuddenlydiscoveredtobeastrongandshrillreinforcementfromsomepoint,ultimatelyfoundtobetheschool—girls’aisle。Ateveryattemptitgrewbolderandmoredistinct。Atthethirdtimeofsinging,theseintrusivefemininevoiceswereasmightyasthoseoftheregularsingers;infact,thefloodofsoundfromthisquarterassumedsuchanindividuality,thatithadatime,akey,almostatuneofitsown,surgingupwardswhenthegalleryplungeddownwards,andthereverse。
Nowthishadneverhappenedbeforewithinthememoryofman。Thegirls,liketherestofthecongregation,hadalwaysbeenhumbleandrespectfulfollowersofthegallery;singingatsixesandsevensifwithoutgalleryleaders;neverinterferingwiththeordinancesofthesepractisedartists——havingnowill,union,power,orproclivityexceptitwasgiventhemfromtheestablishedchoirenthronedabovethem。
Agooddealofdesperationbecamenoticeableinthegallerythroatsandstrings,whichcontinuedthroughoutthemusicalportionoftheservice。Directlythefiddleswerelaiddown,Mr。Penny’sspectaclesputintheirsheath,andthetexthadbeengivenout,anindignantwhisperingbegan。
\"Didyehearthat,souls?\"Mr。Pennysaid,inagroaningbreath。
\"Brazen—facedhussies!\"saidBowman。
\"True;why,theywereeverynoteasloudaswe,fiddlesandall,ifnotlouder!\"
\"Fiddlesandall!\"echoedBowmanbitterly。
\"Shallanythingsaucierbefoundthanunited’ooman?\"Mr。Spinksmurmured。
\"WhatIwanttoknowis,\"saidthetranter(asifheknewalready,butthatcivilizationrequiredtheformofwords),\"whatbusinesspeoplehavetotellmaidenstosinglikethatwhentheydon’tsitinagallery,andneverhaveenteredoneintheirlives?That’sthequestion,mysonnies。\"
\"’Tisthegalleryhavegottosing,alltheworldknows,\"saidMr。
Penny。\"Why,souls,what’stheuseo’theancientsspendingscoresofpoundstobuildgalleriesifpeopledowninthelowestdepthsofthechurchsinglikethatatamoment’snotice?\"
\"Really,Ithinkweuselessoneshadbettermarchoutofchurch,fiddlesandall!\"saidMr。Spinks,withalaughwhich,toastranger,wouldhavesoundedmildandreal。Onlytheinitiatedbodyofmenheaddressedcouldunderstandthehorriblebitternessofironythatlurkedunderthequietwords’uselessones,’andtheghastlinessofthelaughterapparentlysonatural。
\"Nevermind!Let’emsingtoo——’twillmakeitallthelouder——hee,hee!\"saidLeaf。
\"ThomasLeaf,ThomasLeaf!Wherehaveyoulivedallyourlife?\"
saidgrandfatherWilliamsternly。
ThequailingLeaftriedtoleekasifhehadlivednowhereatall。
\"Whenall’ssaidanddone,mysonnies,\"Reubensaid,\"there’dhavebeennorealharmintheirsingingiftheyhadletnobodyhear’em,andonlyjinedinnowandthen。\"
\"Noneatall,\"saidMr。Penny。\"ButthoughIdon’twishtoaccusepeoplewrongfully,I’dsaybeforemylordjudgethatIcouldheareverynoteo’thatlastpsalmcomefrom’emasmuchasfromus——
everynoteasif’twastheirown。\"
\"Knowit!ah,IshouldthinkIdidknowit!\"Mr。Spinkswasheardtoobserveatthismoment,withoutreferencetohisfellowplayers——
shakinghisheadatsomeideaheseemedtoseefloatingbeforehim,andsmilingasifhewereattendingafuneralatthetime。\"Ah,doIordon’tIknowit!\"
Noonesaid\"Knowwhat?\"becauseallwereawarefromexperiencethatwhatheknewwoulddeclareitselfinprocessoftime。
\"Icouldfancylastnightthatweshouldhavesometroublewi’thatyoungman,\"saidthetranter,pendingthecontinuanceofSpinks’sspeech,andlookingtowardstheunconsciousMr。Mayboldinthepulpit。
\"_I_fancy,\"saidoldWilliam,ratherseverely,\"Ifancythere’stoomuchwhisperinggoingontobeofanyspiritualusetogentleorsimple。\"Thenfoldinghislipsandconcentratinghisglanceonthevicar,heimpliedthatnonebuttheignorantwouldspeakagain;andaccordinglytherewassilenceinthegallery,Mr。Spinks’stellingspeechremainingforeverunspoken。
Dickhadsaidnothing,andthetranterlittle,onthisepisodeofthemorning;forMrs。DewyatbreakfastexpresseditasherintentiontoinvitetheyouthfulleaderoftheculpritstothesmallpartyitwascustomarywiththemtohaveonChristmasnight——apieceofknowledgewhichhadgivenaparticularbrightnesstoDick’sreflectionssincehehadreceivedit。Andinthetranter’sslightly—cynicalnature,partyfeelingwasweakerthanintheothermembersofthechoir,thoughfriendlinessandfaithfulpartnershipstillsustainedinhimaheartyearnestnessontheiraccount。
CHAPTERVII:THETRANTER’SPARTY
DuringtheafternoonunusualactivitywasseentoprevailabouttheprecinctsoftranterDewy’shouse。Theflagstonefloorwassweptofdust,andasprinklingofthefinestyellowsandfromtheinnermoststratumoftheadjoiningsand—pitlightlyscatteredthereupon。Thenwereproducedlargeknivesandforks,whichhadbeenshroudedindarknessandgreasesincethelastoccasionofthekind,andbearingupontheirsides,\"Shear—steel,warranted,\"insuchemphaticlettersofassurance,thatthewarranter’snamewasnotrequiredasfurtherproof,andnotgiven。Thekeywasleftinthetapofthecider—
barrel,insteadofbeingcarriedinapocket。Andfinallythetranterhadtostandupintheroomandlethiswifewheelhimroundlikeaturnstile,toseeifanythingdiscreditablewasvisibleinhisappearance。
\"StandstilltillI’vebeenforthescissors,\"saidMrs。Dewy。
Thetranterstoodasstillasasentinelatthechallenge。
Theonlyrepairsnecessarywereatrimmingofoneortwowhiskersthathadextendedbeyondthegeneralcontourofthemass;aliketrimmingofaslightly—frayededgevisibleonhisshirt—collar;andafinaltugatagreyhair——toallofwhichoperationshesubmittedinresignedsilence,exceptthelast,whichproducedamild\"Come,come,Ann,\"bywayofexpostulation。
\"Really,Reuben,’tisquiteadisgracetoseesuchaman,\"saidMrs。
Dewy,withtheseverityjustifiableinalong—triedcompanion,givinghimanotherturnround,andpickingseveralofSmiler’shairsfromtheshoulderofhiscoat。Reuben’sthoughtsseemedengagedelsewhere,andheyawned。\"Andthecellarofyourcoatisashametobehold——soplasteredwithdirt,ordust,orgrease,orsomething。
Why,wherevercouldyouhavegotit?\"
\"’Tismywarmnaterinsummer—time,Isuppose。IalwaysdidgetinsuchaheatwhenIbustleabout。\"
\"Ay,theDewysalwaysweresuchacoarse—skinnedfamily。There’syourbrotherBobjustasbad——asfatasaporpoise——wi’hishow,mean,\"How’stdo,Ann?\"wheneverhemeetsme。I’d\"How’stdo\"himindeed!Ifthesunonlyshinesoutaminute,therebeyouallstreamingintheface——Ineversee!\"
\"IfIbehotweek—days,ImustbehotSundays。\"
\"Ifanyofthegirlsshouldturnaftertheirfather’twillbeabadlook—outfor’em,poorthings!Noneofmyfamilyweresichvulgarsweaters,notoneof’em。But,Lord—a—mercy,theDewys!Idon’tknowhoweverIcam’intosuchafamily!\"
\"Yourwoman’sweaknesswhenIaskedyetojineus。That’showitwasIsuppose。\"Butthetranterappearedtohaveheardsomesuchwordsfromhiswifebefore,andhencehisanswerhadnottheenergyitmighthaveshowniftheinquiryhadpossessedthecharmofnovelty。
\"Youneverdidhooksowellinapairo’trousersasinthem,\"shecontinuedinthesameunimpassionedvoice,sothattheunfriendlycriticismoftheDewyfamilyseemedtohavebeenmerenormalthanspontaneous。\"Suchacheappairas’twastoo。Asbigasanymancouldwishtohave,andlinedinside,anddouble—linedinthelowerparts,andanextrapieceofstiffeningatthebottom。And’tisanicehighcutthatcomesuprightunderyourarmpits,andthere’senoughturneddowninsidetheseamstomakehalfapairmore,besidesapieceofclothheftthatwillmakeanhonestwaistcoat——
allbymycontrivinginbuyingthestuffatabargain,andhavingitmadeupundermyeye。Itonlyshowswhatmaybedonebytakingalittletrouble,andnotgoingstraighttotherascallytailors。\"
ThediscoursewascutshortbythesuddenappearanceofCharleyonthescene,withafaceandhandsofhideousblackness,andanoselikeagutteringcandle。Why,onthatparticularlycleanlyafternoon,heshouldhavediscoveredthatthechimney—crookandchainfromwhichthehamsweresuspendedshouldhavepossessedmoremeritsandgeneralinterestasplaythingsthananyotherarticlesinthehouse,isaquestionfornursingmotherstodecide。However,thehumourseemedtolieintheresultbeing,ashasbeenseen,thatanygivenplayerwiththesearticleswasinthelong—rundaubedwithsoot。ThelastthatwasseenofCharleybydaylightafterthispieceofingenuitywaswhenintheactofvanishingfromhisfather’spresenceroundthecornerofthehouse——lookingbackoverhisshoulderwithanexpressionofgreatsinonhisface,likeCainastheOutcastinBiblepictures。
Theguestshadallassembled,andthetranter’spartyhadreachedthatdegreeofdevelopmentwhichaccordswithteno’clockP。M。inruralassemblies。Atthathourthesoundofafiddleinprocessoftuningwasheardfromtheinnerpantry。
\"That’sDick,\"saidthetranter。\"Thatlad’scrazyforajig。\"
\"Dick!NowIcannot——really,IcannothaveanydancingatalltillChristmas—dayisout,\"saidoldWilliamemphatically。\"Whentheclockha’donestrikingtwelve,danceasmuchasyelike。\"
\"Well,Imustsaythere’sreasoninthat,William,\"saidMrs。Penny。