第3章

\"IfyoudohaveapartyonChristmas—night,’tisonlyfairandhonourabletothesky—folktohaveitasit—stillparty。JiggingpartiesbeallverywellontheDevil’sholidays;butajiggingpartylookssuspiciousnow。Oyes;stoptillthechockstrikes,youngfolk——sosayI。\"

IthappenedthatsomewarmmeadaccidentallygotintoMr。Spinks’sheadaboutthistime。

\"Dancing,\"hesaid,\"isamoststrengthening,livening,andcourtingmovement,’speciallywithalittlebeverageadded!Anddancingisgood。Butwhydisturbwhatisordained,RichardandReuben,andthecompanyzhinerally?Why,Iask,asfarasthatdogo?\"

\"Thennothingtillaftertwelve,\"saidWilliam。

ThoughReubenandhiswiferuledonsocialpoints,religiousquestionsweremostlydisposedofbytheoldman,whosefirmnessonthisheadquitecounterbalancedacertainweaknessinhishandlingofdomesticmatters。Thehopesoftheyoungermembersofthehouseholdwerethereforerelegatedtoadistanceofonehourandthree—quarters——aresultthattookvisibleshapeinthembyaremoteandlistlesslookabouttheeyes——thesingingofsongsbeingpermittedintheinterim。

Atfiveminutestotwelvethesofttuningwasagainheardinthebackquarters;andwhenatlengththeclockhadwhizzedforththelaststroke,Dickappearedreadyprimed,andtheinstrumentswereboldlyhandled;oldWilliamveryreadilytakingthebass—violfromitsaccustomednail,andtouchingthestringsasirreligiouslyascouldbedesired。

Thecountry—dancecalledthe’Triumph,orFollowmyLover,’wasthefigurewithwhichtheyopened。ThetrantertookforhispartnerMrs。Penny,andMrs。DewywaschosenbyMr。Penny,whomadesomuchofhislimitedheightbyajudiciouscarriageofthehead,straighteningoftheback,andimportantflashesofhisspectacle—

glasses,thatheseemedalmostastallasthetranter。Mr。Shiner,ageaboutthirty—five,farmerandchurch—warden,acharacterprincipallycomposedofacrimsonstare,vigorousbreath,andawatch—chain,withamouthhangingonadarksmilebutneversmiling,hadcomequitewillinglytotheparty,andshowedawondrousobliviousnessofallhisanticsonthepreviousnight。Butthecomely,slender,prettily—dressedprizeFancyDayfelltoDick’shot,inspiteofsomeprivatemachinationsofthefarmer,forthereasonthatMr。Shiner,asaricherman,hadshowntoomuchassuranceinaskingthefavour,whilstDickhadbeendulycourteous。

Wegainagoodviewofourheroineassheadvancestoherplaceintheladies’line。Shebelongedtothetallerdivisionofmiddleheight。Flexibilitywasherfirstcharacteristic,bywhichsheappearedtoenjoythemosteasefulrestwhenshewasinglidingmotion。Herdarkeyes——archedbybrowsofsokeen,slender,andsoftacurve,thattheyresemblednothingsomuchastwoslursinmusic——showedprimarilyabrightsparkleeach。Thiswassoftenedbyafrequentthoughtfulness,yetnotsofrequentastodoaway,formorethanafewminutesatatime,withacertaincoquettishness;

whichinitsturnwasneversodecidedastobanishhonesty。Herlipsimitatedherbrowsintheirclearly—cutoutlineandsoftnessofbend;andhernosewaswellshaped——whichissayingagreatdeal,whenitisrememberedthatthereareahundredprettymouthsandeyesforoneprettynose。Addtothis,plentifulknotsofdark—

brownhair,agauzydressofwhite,withbluefacings;andtheslightestideamaybegainedoftheyoungmaidenwhoshowed,amidsttherestofthedancing—ladies,likeafloweramongvegetables。Andsothedanceproceeded。Mr。Shiner,accordingtotheinterestingrulelaiddown,desertedhisownpartner,andmadeoffdownthemiddlewiththisfaironeofDick’s——thepairappearingfromthetopoftheroomliketwopersonstrippingdownalanetobemarried。

Dicktrottedbehindwithwhatwasintendedtobealookofcomposure,butwhichwas,infact,arathersillyexpressionoffeature——implying,withtoomuchearnestness,thatsuchanelopementcouldnotbetolerated。Thentheyturnedandcameback,whenDickgrewmorerigidaroundhismouth,andblushedwithingenuousardourashejoinedhandswiththerivalandformedthearchoverhislady’shead;whichpresumablygavethefigureitsname;

relinquishingheragainatsettingtopartners,whenMr。Shiner’snewchainquiveredineverylink,andalltheloosefleshuponthetranter——whoherecameintoactionagain——shooklikejelly。Mrs。

Penny,beingalwaysratherconcernedforherpersonalsafetywhenshedancedwiththetranter,fixedherfacetoachronicsmileoftimiditythewholetimeithasted——apeculiaritywhichfilledherfeatureswithwrinkles,andreducedhereyestolittlestraightlineslikehyphens,asshejiggedupanddownoppositehim;

repeatinginherownpersonnotonlyhispropermovements,butalsotheminorflourisheswhichtherichnessofthetranter’simaginationledhimtointroducefromtimetotime——animitationwhichhadaboutitsomethingofslavishobedience,notunmixedwithfear。

Theear—ringsoftheladiesnowflungthemselveswildlyabout,turningviolentsummersaults,bangingthiswayandthat,andthenswingingquietlyagainsttheearssustainingthem。Mrs。Crumpler——aheavywoman,who,forsomereasonwhichnobodyeverthoughtworthinquiry,dancedinacleanapron——movedsosmoothlythroughthefigurethatherfeetwereneverseen;conveyingtoimaginativemindstheideathatsherolledoncastors。

Minuteafterminuteglidedby,andthepartyreachedtheperiodwhenladies’back—hairbeginstolookforgottenanddissipated;whenaperceptibledampnessmakesitselfapparentuponthefacesevenofdelicategirls——aghastlydewhavingforsometimerainedfromthefeaturesoftheirmasculinepartners;whenskirtsbegintobetornoutoftheirgathers;whenelderlypeople,whohavestooduptopleasetheirjuniors,begintofeelsundrysmalltremblingsintheregionoftheknees,andtowishtheinterminabledancewasatJericho;when(atcountrypartiesofthethoroughsort)waistcoatsbegintobeunbuttoned,andwhenthefiddlers’chairshavebeenwriggled,bythefranticbowingoftheiroccupiers,toadistanceofabouttwofeetfromwheretheyoriginallystood。

FancywasdancingwithMr。Shiner。DickknewthatFancy,bythelawofgoodmanners,wasboundtodanceaspleasantlywithonepartneraswithanother;yethecouldnothelpsuggestingtohimselfthatsheneednothaveputQUITEsomuchspiritintohersteps,norsmiledQUITEsofrequentlywhilstinthefarmer’shands。

\"I’mafraidyoudidn’tcastoff,\"saidDickmildlytoMr。Shiner,beforethelatterman’swatch—chainhaddonevibratingfromarecentwhirl。

Fancymadeamotionofacceptingthecorrection;butherpartnertooknonotice,andproceededwiththenextmovement,withanaffectionatebendtowardsher。

\"ThatShiner’stoofondofher,\"theyoungmansaidtohimselfashewatchedthem。Theycametothetopagain,Fancysmilingwarmlytowardsherpartner,andwenttotheirplaces。

\"Mr。Shiner,youdidn’tcastoff,\"saidDick,forwantofsomethingelsetodemolishhimwith;castingoffhimself,andbeingputoutatthefarmer’sirregularity。

\"PerhapsIsha’n’tcastoffforanyman,\"saidMr。Shiner。

\"Ithinkyououghtto,sir。\"

Dick’spartner,ayoungladyofthenameofLizzy——calledLizzforshort——triedtomollify。

\"Ican’tsaythatImyselfhavemuchfeelingforcastingoff,\"shesaid。

\"NorI,\"saidMrs。Penny,followinguptheargument,\"especiallyifafriendandneighbourissetagainstit。Notbutthat’tisaterribletastythingingoodhandsandwelldone;yes,indeed,sosayI。\"

\"AllImeantwas,\"saidDick,rathersorrythathehadspokencorrectinglytoaguest,\"that’tisinthedance;andamanhashardlyanyrighttohackandmanglewhatwasordainedbytheregulardance—maker,who,Idaresay,gothislivingbymaking’em,andthoughtofnothingelseallhislife。\"

\"Idon’tlikecastingoff:thenverywell;Icastofffornodance—

makerthateverlived。\"

Dicknowappearedtobedoingmentalarithmetic,theactbeingreallyanefforttopresenttohimself,inanabstractform,howfaranargumentwithaformidablerivaloughttobecarried,whenthatrivalwashismother’sguest。Thedead—lockwasputanendtobythestampingarrivalupthemiddleofthetranter,who,despisingminutiaeonprinciple,startedathemeofhisown。

\"Iassureyou,neighbours,\"hesaid,\"theheatofmyframenotonguecantell!\"Helookedaroundandendeavouredtogive,byaforciblegazeofself—sympathy,somefaintideaofthetruth。

Mrs。Dewyformedoneofthenextcouple。

\"Yes,\"shesaid,inanauxiliarytone,\"Reubenalwayswassuchahotman。\"

Mrs。Pennyimpliedthespeciesofsympathythatsuchaclassofafflictionrequired,bytryingtosmileandtolookgrievedatthesametime。

\"IfheonlywalkroundthegardenofaSundaymorning,hisshirt—

collarisaslimpasnostarchatall,\"continuedMrs。Dewy,hercountenancelapsingparentheticallyintoahousewifelyexpressionofconcernatthereminiscence。

\"Come,come,youwomen—folk;’tishandsacross——come,come!\"saidthetranter;andtheconversationceasedforthepresent。

CHAPTERVIII:THEYDANCEMOREWILDLY

DickhadatlengthsecuredFancyforthatmostdelightfulofcountry—dances,openingwithsix—hands—round。

\"Beforewebegin,\"saidthetranter,\"myproposalis,that’twouldbearightandproperplanforeverymortalmaninthedancetopulloffhisjacket,consideringtheheat。\"

\"Suchlownotionsasyouhave,Reuben!Nothingbutstripwillgodownwithyouwhenyouarea—dancing。Suchahotmanasheis!\"

\"Well,now,lookhere,mysonnies,\"hearguedtohiswife,whomheoftenaddressedinthepluralmasculineforeconomyofepithetmerely;\"Idon’tseethat。Youdanceandgethotasfire;thereforeyoulightenyourclothes。Isn’tthatnatureandreasonforgentleandsimple?IfIstripbymyselfandnotnecessary,’tisratherpot—houseyIown;butifwestoutchapsstriponeandall,why,’tisthenativemannersofthecountry,whichnomancangainsay?Hey——

whatdidyousay,mysonnies?\"

\"Stripwewill!\"saidthethreeotherheavymenwhowereinthedance;andtheircoatswereaccordinglytakenoffandhunginthepassage,whencethefoursufferersfromheatsoonreappeared,marchinginclosecolumn,withflappingshirt—sleeves,andhaving,ascommontothemall,ageneralglanceofbeingnowamatchforanymanordancerinEnglandorIreland。Dick,fearingtolosegroundinFancy’sgoodopinion,retainedhiscoatliketherestofthethinnermen;andMr。Shinerdidthesamefromsuperiorknowledge。

Andnowafurtherphaseofrevelryhaddiscloseditself。Itwasthetimeofnightwhenaguestmaywritehisnameinthedustuponthetablesandchairs,andabluishmistpervadestheatmosphere,becomingadistincthaloroundthecandles;whenpeople’snostrils,wrinkles,andcrevicesingeneral,seemtobegettinggraduallyplasteredup;whentheveryfiddlersaswellasthedancersgetredintheface,thedancershavingadvancedfurtherstilltowardsincandescence,andenteredthecadaverousphase;thefiddlersnolongersitdown,butkickbacktheirchairsandsawmadlyatthestrings,withlegsfirmlyspreadandeyesclosed,regardlessofthevisibleworld。AgainandagaindidDicksharehisLove’shandwithanotherman,andwheelround;then,moredelightfully,promenadeinacirclewithheralltohimself,hisarmholdingherwaistmorefirmlyeachtime,andhiselbowgettingfurtherandfurtherbehindherback,tillthedistancereachedwasrathernoticeable;and,mostblissful,swingingtoplacesshouldertoshoulder,herbreathcurlingroundhisnecklikeasummerzephyrthathadstrayedfromitsproperdate。Threadingthecouplesonebyonetheyreachedthebottom,whentherearoseinDick’smindaminormiserylestthetuneshouldendbeforetheycouldworktheirwaytothetopagain,andhaveanewthesameexcitingrundownthrough。Dick’sfeelingsonactuallyreachingthetopinspiteofhisdoubtsweresupplementedbyamortalfearthatthefiddlingmightevenstopatthissuprememoment;whichpromptedhimtoconveyastealthywhispertothefar—

gonemusicians,totheeffectthattheywerenottoleaveofftillheandhispartnerhadreachedthebottomofthedanceoncemore,whichremarkwasrepliedtobythenearestofthoseconvulsedandquiveringmenbyaprivatenodtotheanxiousyoungmanbetweentwosemiquaversofthetune,andasimultaneous\"Allright,ay,ay,\"

withoutopeningtheeyes。FancywasnowheldsocloselythatDickandshewerepracticallyoneperson。TheroombecametoDicklikeapictureinadream;allthathecouldrememberofitafterwardsbeingthelookofthefiddlersgoingtosleep,ashumming—topssleep,byincreasingtheirmotionandhum,togetherwiththefiguresofgrandfatherJamesandoldSimonCrumplersittingbythechimney—

corner,talkingandnoddingindumb—show,andbeatingtheairtotheiremphaticsentenceslikepeoplenearathreshingmachine。

Thedanceended。\"Piph—h—h—h!\"saidtranterDewy,blowingouthisbreathintheveryfineststreamofvapourthataman’slipscouldform。\"Aregulartightener,thatone,sonnies!\"Hewipedhisforehead,andwenttotheciderandalemugsonthetable。

\"Well!\"saidMrs。Penny,floppingintoachair,\"myhearthaven’tbeeninsuchathumpingstateofuproarsinceIusedtosituponoldMidsummer—evestoseewhomyhusbandwasgoingtobe。\"

\"Andthat’sgettingonforagoodfewyearsagonow,fromwhatI’veheardyoutell,\"saidthetranter,withoutliftinghiseyesfromthecuphewasfilling。Beingnowengagedinthebusinessofhandingroundrefreshments,hewaswarrantedinkeepinghiscoatoffstill,thoughtheotherheavymenhadresumedtheirs。

\"AndathingIneverexpectedwouldcometopass,ifyou’llbelieveme,cametopassthen,\"continuedMrs。Penny。\"Ah,thefirstspiriteverIseeonaMidsummer—evewasapuzzletomewhenheappeared,ahardpuzzle,sosayI!\"

\"SoIshouldhavefancied,\"saidEliasSpinks。

\"Yes,\"saidMrs。Penny,throwingherglanceintopasttimes,andtalkingoninarunningtoneofcomplacentabstraction,asifalistenerwerenotanecessity。\"Yes;neverwasIinsuchatakingasonthatMidsummer—eve!Isatup,quitedeterminedtoseeifJohnWildwaywasgoingtomarrymeorno。Iputthebread—and—cheeseandbeerquiteready,asthewitch’sbookordered,andIopenedthedoor,andIwaitedtilltheclockstrucktwelve,mynervesallaliveandsostrainedthatIcouldfeeleveryoneof’emtwitchinglikebell—wires。Yes,sure!andwhentheclockhadstruck,hoandbehold,IcouldseethroughthedooraLITTLESMALLmaninthelanewi’ashoemaker’sapronon。\"

HereMr。Pennystealthilyenlargedhimselfhalfaninch。

\"Now,JohnWildway,\"Mrs。Pennycontinued,\"whocourtedmeatthattime,wasashoemaker,yousee,buthewasaveryfair—sizedman,andIcouldn’tbelievethatanysuchalittlesmallmanhadanythingtodowi’me,asanybodymight。Butonhecame,andcrossedthethreshold——notJohn,butactuallythesamelittlesmallmanintheshoemaker’sapron——\"

\"Youneedn’tbesomightyparticularaboutlittleandsmall!\"saidherhusband。

\"Inhewalks,anddownhesits,andOmygoodnessme,didn’tIfleeupstairs,bodyandsoulhardlyhangingtogether!Well,tocutalongstoryshort,by—longandby—late。JohnWildwayandIhadamiffandparted;andloandbehold,thecomingmancame!PennyaskedmeifI’dgosnackswithhim,andaforeIknewwhatIwasabouta’most,thethingwasdone。\"

\"I’vefanciedyouneverknewbetterinyourlife;butImidbemistaken,\"saidMr。Pennyinamurmur。

AfterMrs。Pennyhadspoken,therebeingnonewoccupationforhereyes,shestillletthemstayidlingonthepastscenesjustrelated,whichwereapparentlyvisibletoherinthecentreoftheroomMr。Penny’sremarkreceivednoreply。

Duringthisdiscoursethetranterandhiswifemighthavebeenobservedstandinginanunobtrusivecorner,inmysteriousclosenesstoeachother,ajustperceptiblecurrentofintelligencepassingfromeachtoeach,whichhadapparentlynorelationwhatevertotheconversationoftheirguests,butmuchtotheirsustenance。A

conclusionofsomekindhavingatlengthbeendrawn,thepalpableconfederacyofmanandwifewasoncemoreobliterated,thetrantermarchingoffintothepantry,hummingatunethathecouldn’tquiterecollect,andthenbreakingintothewordsofasongofwhichhecouldrememberaboutonelineandaquarter。Mrs。Dewyspokeafewwordsaboutpreparationsforabitofsupper。

Thatelderportionofthecompanywhichlovedeatinganddrinkingputonalooktosignifythattillthismomenttheyhadquiteforgottenthatitwascustomarytoexpectsuppersontheseoccasions;goingevenfurtherthanthispolitenessoffeature,andstartingirrelevantsubjects,theexceedingflatnessandforcedtoneofwhichratherbetrayedtheirobject。Theyoungermemberssaidtheywerequitehungry,andthatsupperwouldbedelightfulthoughitwassolate。

GoodluckattendedDick’slove—passesduringthemeal。HesatnextFancy,andhadthethrillingpleasureofusingpermanentlyaglasswhichhadbeentakenbyFancyinmistake;oflettingtheouteredgeofthesoleofhisboottouchthelowervergeofherskirt;andtoaddtothesedelightsthecat,whichhadlainunobservedinherhapforseveralminutes,creptacrossintohisown,touchinghimwithfurthathadtouchedherhandamomentbefore。Therewere,besides,somelittlepleasuresintheshapeofhelpinghertovegetableshedidn’twant,andwhenithadnearlyalightedonherplatetakingitacrossforhisownuse,onthepleaofwastenot,wantnot。Healso,fromtimetotime,sippedsweetslyglancesatherprofile;

noticingthesetofherhead,thecurveofherthroat,andotherartisticpropertiesofthelivelygoddess,whothewhilekeptuparatherfree,nottosaytoofree,conversationwithMr。Shinersittingopposite;which,aftersomeuneasycriticism,andmuchshiftingofargumentbackwardsandforwardsinDick’smind,hedecidednottoconsiderofalarmingsignificance。

\"Anewmusicgreetsourearsnow,\"saidMissFancy,alluding,withthesharpnessthatherpositionasvillagesharpenerdemanded,tothecontrastbetweentherattleofknivesandforksandthelatenotesofthefiddlers。

\"Ay;andIdon’tknowbutwhat’tissweeterintonewhenyougetaboveforty,\"saidthetranter;\"except,infaith,asregardsfatherthere。Neversuchamortalmanashefortunes。Theydomovehissoul;don’t’em,father?\"

TheeldestDewysmiledacrossfromhisdistantchairanassenttoReuben’sremark。

\"Spakingofbeingmovedinsoul,\"saidMr。Penny,\"IshallneverforgetthefirsttimeIheardthe\"DeadMarch。\"’TwasatpoorCorp’lNineman’sfuneralatCasterbridge。Itfairlymademyhaircreepandfidgetaboutlikeavlockofsheep——ah,itdid,souls!

Andwhentheyhaddone,andthelasttrumphadsounded,andthegunswasfiredoverthedeadhero’sgrave,a’icy—colddropo’moistsweathunguponmyforehead,andanotheruponmyjawbone。Ah,’tisaverysolemnthing!\"

\"Well,astofatherinthecornerthere,\"thetrantersaid,pointingtooldWilliam,whowasintheactoffillinghismouth;\"he’dstarvetodeathformusic’ssakenow,asmuchaswhenhewasaboy—

chapoffifteen。\"

\"Truly,now,\"saidMichaelMail,clearingthecornerofhisthroatinthemannerofamanwhomeanttobeconvincing;’there’safriendlytieofsomesortbetweenmusicandeating。\"Heliftedthecuptohismouth,anddrankhimselfgraduallybackwardsfromaperpendicularpositiontoaslantingone,duringwhichtimehislooksperformedacircuitfromthewalloppositehimtotheceilingoverhead。Thenclearingtheothercornerofhisthroat:’OnceI

wasa—settinginthelittlekitchenoftheDreeMarinersatCasterbridge,havingabitofdinner,andabrassbandstruckupinthestreet。Suchabeautifulbandasthatwere!Iwassettingeatingfriedliverandlights,Iwellcanmind——ah,Iwas!andtosavemylife,Icouldn’thelpchawingtothetune。Bandplayedsix—

eighttime;six—eightchawsI,willynilly。Bandplayscommon;

commontimewentmyteethamongtheliverandlightsastrueasahair。Beautiful’twere!Ah,Ishallneverforgetthatthereband!\"

\"That’sastunefulathingaseverIheardof,\"saidgrandfatherJames,withtheabsentgazewhichaccompaniesprofoundcriticism。

\"Idon’tlikeMichael’stunefulstoriesthen,\"saidMrs。Dewy。

\"Theyarequitecoarsetoapersono’decenttaste。\"

OldMichael’smouthtwitchedhereandthere,asifhewantedtosmilebutdidn’tknowwheretobegin,whichgraduallysettledtoanexpressionthatitwasnotdispleasingforanicewomanlikethetranter’swifetocorrecthim。

\"Well,now,\"saidReuben,withdecisiveearnestness,\"thatsorto’

coarsetouchthat’ssoupsettingtoAnn’sfeelingsistomymindarecommendation;foritdoalwaysproveastorytobetrue。Andforthesamereason,Ilikeastorywithabadmoral。Mysonnies,alltruestorieshaveacoarsetouchorabadmoral,dependupon’t。Ifthestory—tellerscouldha’gotdecencyandgoodmoralsfromtruestories,who’dha’troubledtoinventparables?\"Sayingthisthetranterarosetofetchanewstockofcider,ale,mead,andhome—

madewines。

Mrs。Dewysighed,andappendedaremark(ostensiblybehindherhusband’sback,thoughthatthewordsshouldreachhisearsdistinctlywasunderstoodbyboth):\"SuchamanasDewyis!NobodydoknowthetroubleIhavetokeepthatmanbarelyrespectable。Anddidyoueverheartoo——justnowatsupper—time——talkingabout\"taties\"withMichaelinsuchawork—folkway。Well,’tiswhatI

wasneverbroughtupto!Withourfamily’twasneverlessthan\"taters,\"andveryoften\"pertatoes\"outright;motherwassoparticularandnicewithusgirlstherewasnofamilyintheparishthatkeptthemselvesupmorethanwe。\"

Thehourofpartingcame。Fancycouldnotremainforthenight,becauseshehadengagedawomantowaitupforher。Shedisappearedtemporarilyfromtheflaggingpartyofdancers,andthencamedownstairswrappedupandlookingaltogetheradifferentpersonfromwhomshehadbeenhitherto,infact(toDick’ssadnessanddisappointment),awomansomewhatreservedandofaphlegmatictemperament——nothingleftinheroftherompinggirlthatshehadseemedbutashortquarter—hourbefore,whohadnotmindedtheweightofDick’shanduponherwaist,norshirkedthepurlieusofthemistletoe。

\"Whatadifference!\"thoughttheyoungman——hoarycynicprotem。

\"Whatamiserabledeceivingdifferencebetweenthemannersofamaid’slifeatdancingtimesandatothers!LookatthislovelyFancy!Throughthewholepasteveningtouchable,squeezeable——evenkissable!Forwholehalf—hoursIheldhersochosetomethatnotasheetofpapercouldhavebeenshippedbetweenus;andIcouldfeelherheartonlyjustoutsidemyown,herlifebeatingonsoclosetomine,thatIwasawareofeverybreathinit。Aflitismadeupstairs——ahatandacloakputon——andInomoredaretotouchherthan——\"Thoughtfailedhim,andhereturnedtorealities。

Butthiswasanendurablemiseryincomparisonwithwhatfollowed。

Mr。Shinerandhiswatch—chain,takingtheintrusiveadvantagethatardentbachelorswhoaregoinghomewardalongthesameroadasaprettyyoungwomanalwaysdotakeofthatcircumstance,cameforwardtoassureFancy——withatotaldisregardofDick’semotions,andintoneswhichwerecertainlynotfrigid——thathe(Shiner)wasnotthemantogotobedbeforeseeinghisLadyFairsafewithinherowndoor——nothe,nobodyshouldsayhewasthat;——andthathewouldnotleavehersideaninchtillthethingwasdone——drownhimifhewould。TheproposalwasassentedtobyMissDay,inDick’sforebodingjudgment,withonedegree——oratanyrate,anappreciablefractionofadegree——ofwarmthbeyondthatrequiredbyadisinteresteddesireforprotectionfromthedangersofthenight。

Allwasover;andDicksurveyedthechairshehadlastoccupied,lookingnowlikeasettingfromwhichthegemhasbeentorn。Therestoodherglass,andtheromanticteaspoonfulofelderwineatthebottomthatshecouldn’tdrinkbytryingeversohard,inobediencetothemightyargumentsofthetranter(hishandcomingdownuponhershoulderthewhile,likeaNasmythhammer);butthedrinkerwastherenolonger。Therewerethenineortenprettylittlecrumbsshehadleftonherplate;buttheeaterwasnomoreseen。

Thereseemedadisagreeableclosenessofrelationshipbetweenhimselfandthemembersofhisfamily,nowthattheywereleftaloneagainfacetoface。Hisfatherseemedquiteoffensiveforappearingtobeinjustashighspiritsaswhentheguestswerethere;andasforgrandfatherJames(whohadnotyetleft),hewasquitefiendishinbeingrathergladtheyweregone。

\"Really,\"saidthetranter,inatoneofplacidsatisfaction,\"I’vehadsolittletimetoattendtomyselfalltheevenen,thatImeantoenjoyaquietmealnow!Asliceofthishereham——neithertoofatnortoolean——so;andthenadropofthisvinegarandpickles——

there,that’sit——andIshallbeasfreshasalarkagain!Andtotellthetruth,mysonny,myinsidehasbeenasdryasalime—basketallnight。\"

\"Ilikeapartyverywellonceinawhile,\"saidMrs。Dewy,leavingofftheadornedtonesshehadbeenboundtousethroughouttheevening,andreturningtothenaturalmarriagevoice;\"but,Lord,’tissuchasightofheavyworknextday!Whatwiththedirtyplates,andknivesandforks,anddustandsmother,andbitskickedoffyourfurniture,andIdon’tknowwhatall,whyabodycoulda’mostwishtherewerenosuchthingsasChristmases……Ah—hdear!\"sheyawned,tillthechockinthecornerhadtickedseveralbeats。Shecasthereyesrounduponthedisplaced,dust—ladenfurniture,andsankdownoverpoweredatthesight。

\"Well,Ibegettingallrightbydegrees,thanktheLordfor’t!\"

saidthetrantercheerfullythroughamangledmassofhamandbread,withoutliftinghiseyesfromhisplate,andchoppingawaywithhisknifeandforkasifhewerefellingtrees。\"Ann,youmayaswellgoontobedatonce,andnotbidetheremakingsuchsleepyfaces;

youlookaslong—favouredasafiddle,uponmylife,Ann。There,youmustbeweariedout,’tistrue。I’lldothedoorsanddrawuptheclock;andyougoon,oryou’llbeaswhiteasasheetto—

morrow。\"

\"Ay;Idon’tknowwhetherIshan’torno。\"Thematronpassedherhandacrosshereyestobrushawaythefilmofsheeptillshegotupstairs。

Dickwonderedhowitwasthatwhenpeopleweremarriedtheycouldbesoblindtoromance;andwasquitecertainthatifheevertooktowifethatdearimpossibleFancy,heandshewouldneverbesodreadfullypracticalandundemonstrativeofthePassionashisfatherandmotherwere。Themostextraordinarythingwas,thatallthefathersandmothersheknewwerejustasundemonstrativeashisown。

CHAPTERIX:DICKCALLSATTHESCHOOL

Theearlydaysoftheyeardrewon,andFancy,havingspenttheholidayweeksatborne,returnedagaintoMellstock。

EveryspareminuteoftheweekfollowingherreturnwasusedbyDickinaccidentallypassingtheschoolhouseinhisjourneysabouttheneighbourhood;butnotoncedidshemakeherselfvisible。A

handkerchiefbelongingtoherhadbeenprovidentiallyfoundbyhismotherinclearingtheroomsthedayafterthatofthedance;andbymuchcontrivanceDickgotithandedovertohim,toleavewithheratanytimeheshouldbeneartheschoolafterherreturn。Buthedelayedtakingtheextrememeasureofcallingwithitlest,hadshereallynosentimentofinterestinhim,itmightberegardedasaslightlyabsurderrand,thereasonguessed;andthesenseoftheludicrous,whichwasratherkeeninher,dohisdignityconsiderableinjuryinhereyes;andwhatshethoughtofhim,evenapartfromthequestionofherloving,wasalltheworldtohimnow。

Butthehourcamewhenthepatienceofloveattwenty—onecouldendurenolonger。OneSaturdayheapproachedtheschoolwithamildairofindifference,andhadthesatisfactionofseeingtheobjectofhisquestatthefurtherendofhergarden,trying,bytheaidofaspadeandgloves,torootabramblethathadintrudeditselfthere。

Hedisguisedhisfeelingsfromsomesuspicious—lookingcottage—

windowsoppositebyendeavouringtoappearlikeamaninagreathurryofbusiness,whowishedtoleavethehandkerchiefandhavedonewithsuchtriflingerrands。

Thisendeavoursignallyfailed;foronapproachingthegatehefounditlockedtokeepthechildren,whowereplaying’cross—dadder’inthefront,fromrunningintoherprivategrounds。

Shedidnotseehim;andhecouldonlythinkofonethingtobedone,whichwastoshouthername。

\"MissDay!\"

Thewordswereutteredwithajerkandalookmeanttoimplytothecottagesoppositethathewasnowsimplyonewholikedshoutingasapheasantwayofpassinghistime,withoutanyreferencetopersonsingardens。Thenamediedaway,andtheunconsciousMissDaycontinueddiggingandpullingasbefore。

Hescrewedhimselfuptoenduringthecottage—windowsyetmorestoically,andshoutedagain。Fancytooknonoticewhatever。

Heshoutedthethirdtime,withdesperatevehemence,turningsuddenlyaboutandretiringalittledistance,asifitwerebynomeansforhisownpleasurethathehadcome。

Thistimesheheardhim,camedownthegarden,andenteredtheschoolattheback。Footstepsechoedacrosstheinterior,thedooropened,andthree—quartersofthebloomingyoungschoolmistress’sfaceandfigurestoodrevealedbeforehim;asliceonherleft—handsidebeingcutoffbytheedgeofthedoor。Havingsurveyedandrecognizedhim,shecametothegate。

Atsightofhimhadthepinkofhercheeksincreased,lessened,ordiditcontinuetocoveritsnormalareaofground?Itwasaquestionmeditatedseveralhundredsoftimesbyhervisitorinafter—hours——themeditation,afterwearyinginvolutions,alwaysendinginoneway,thatitwasimpossibletosay。

\"Yourhandkerchief:MissDay:Icalledwith。\"Hehelditoutspasmodicallyandawkwardly。\"Motherfoundit:underachair。\"

\"O,thankyouverymuchforbringingit,Mr。Dewy。Icouldn’tthinkwhereIhaddroppedit。\"

NowDick,notbeinganexperiencedlover——indeed,neverbeforehavingbeenengagedinthepracticeoflove—makingatall,exceptinasmallschoolboyway——couldnottakeadvantageofthesituation;

andoutcametheblunder,whichafterwardscosthimsomanybittermomentsandasleeplessnight:—

\"Goodmorning,MissDay。\"

\"Goodmorning,Mr。Dewy。\"

Thegatewasclosed;shewasgone;andDickwasstandingoutside,unchangedinhisconditionfromwhathehadbeenbeforehecalled。

OfcoursetheAngelwasnottoblame——ayoungwomanlivingaloneinahousecouldnotaskhimindoorsunlessshehadknownhimbetter——

heshouldhavekeptheroutsidebeforeflounderingintothatfatalfarewell。Hewishedthatbeforehecalledhehadrealizedmorefullythanhedidthepleasureofbeingabouttocall;andturnedaway。

PARTTHESECOND——SPRING

CHAPTERI:PASSINGBYTHESCHOOL

Itfollowedthat,asthespringadvanced,Dickwalkedabroadmuchmorefrequentlythanhadhithertobeenusualwithhim,andwascontinuallyfindingthathisnearestwaytoorfromhomelaybytheroadwhichskirtedthegardenoftheschool。Thefirst—fruitsofhisperseverancewerethat,onturningtheangleonthenineteenthjourneybythattrack,hesawMissFancy’sfigure,clothedinadark—graydress,lookingfromahighopenwindowuponthecrownofhishat。ThefriendlygreetingresultingfromthisrencounterwasconsideredsovaluableanelixirthatDickpassedstilloftener;andbythetimehehadalmosttroddenalittlepathunderthefencewhereneverapathwasbefore,hewasrewardedwithanactualmeetingfacetofaceontheopenroadbeforehergate。Thisbroughtanothermeeting,andanother,Fancyfaintlyshowingbyherbearingthatitwasapleasuretoherofsomekindtoseehimtherebutthesortofpleasureshederived,whetherexultationatthehopeherexceedingfairnessinspired,orthetruefeelingwhichwasaloneDick’sconcern,hecouldnotanyhowdecide,althoughhemeditatedonhereverylittlemovementforhoursafteritwasmade。

CHAPTERII:AMEETINGOFTHEQUIRE

Itwastheeveningofafinespringday。Thedescendingsunappearedasanebulousblazeofamberlight,itsoutlinebeinglostincloudymasseshangingroundit,likewildlocksofhair。

ThechiefmembersofMellstockparishchoirwerestandinginagroupinfrontofMr。Penny’sworkshopinthelowervillage。Theywereallbrightlyilluminated,andeachwasbackedupbyashadowaslongasasteeplethelownessofthesourceoflightrenderingthebrimsoftheirhatsofnouseatallasaprotectiontotheeyes。

Mr。Penny’swasthelasthouseinthatpartoftheparish,andstoodinahollowbytheroadsidesothatcart—wheelsandhorses’legswereaboutlevelwiththesillofhisshop—window。Thiswaslowandwide,andwasopenfrommorningtillevening,Mr。Pennyhimselfbeinginvariablyseenworkinginside,likeaframedportraitofashoemakerbysomemodernMoroni。Hesatfacingtheroad,withabootonhiskneesandtheawlinhishand,onlylookingupforamomentashestretchedouthisarmsandbentforwardatthepull,whenhisspectaclesflashedinthepasser’sfacewithashineofflatwhiteness,andthenreturnedagaintothebootasusual。Rowsoflasts,smallandlarge,stoutandslender,coveredthewallwhichformedthebackground,intheextremeshadowofwhichakindofdummywasseensitting,intheshapeofanapprenticewithastringtiedroundhishair(probablytokeepitoutofhiseyes)。Hesmiledatremarksthatfloatedinfromwithout,butwasneverknowntoanswertheminMr。Penny’spresence。Outsidethewindowtheupper—leatherofaWellington—bootwasusuallyhung,peggedtoaboardasiftodry。Nosignwasoverhisdoor;infact——aswitholdbanksandmercantilehouses——advertisinginanyshapewasscorned,anditwouldhavebeenfeltasbeneathhisdignitytopaintup,forthebenefitofstrangers,thenameofanestablishmentwhosetradecamesolelybyconnectionbasedonpersonalrespect。

Hisvisitorsnowcameandstoodontheoutsideofhiswindow,sometimesleaningagainstthesill,sometimesmovingapaceortwobackwardsandforwardsinfrontofit。TheytalkedwithdeliberategesticulationstoMr。Penny,enthronedintheshadowoftheinterior。

\"Idolikeamantosticktomenwhobeinthesamelineo’life——o’

Sundays,anyway——thatIdoso。\"

\"’Tislikeallthedoingsoffolkwhodon’tknowwhataday’sworkis,that’swhatIsay。\"

\"Mybeliefistheman’snottoblame;’tisSHE——she’sthebitterweed!\"

\"No,notaltogether。He’sapoorgawk—hammer。Lookathissermonyesterday。\"

\"Hissermonwaswellenough,averygoodguessablesermon,onlyhecouldn’tputitintowordsandspeakit。That’sallwasthematterwi’thesermon。Hehadn’tbeenabletogetitpasthispen。\"

\"Well——ay,thesermonmighthavebeengood;for,’tistrue,thesermonofOldEccl’iasteshimselflayinEccl’iastes’sink—bottleaforehegotitout。\"

Mr。Penny,beingintheactofdrawingthelaststitchtight,couldaffordtimetolookupandthrowinawordatthispoint。

\"He’snospouter——thatmustbesaid,’ab’lieve。\"

\"’Tisaterriblemuddlesometimeswiththeman,asfarasspoutdogo,\"saidSpinks。

\"Well,we’llsaynothingaboutthat,\"thetranteranswered;\"forI

don’tbelieve’twillmakeapennetho’differencetowepoormartelshereorhereafterwhetherhissermonsbegoodorbad,mysonnies。\"

Mr。Pennymadeanotherholewithhisawl,pushedinthethread,andlookedupandspokeagainattheextensionofarms。

\"’Tishisgoings—on,souls,that’swhatitis。\"HeclenchedhisfeaturesforanHerculeanadditiontotheordinarypull,andcontinued,\"Thefirstthinghedonewhenhecameherewastobehotandstrongaboutchurchbusiness。\"

\"True,\"saidSpinks;\"thatwastheveryfirstthinghedone。\"

Mr。Penny,havingnowbeenofferedtheearoftheassembly,acceptedit,ceasedstitching,swallowedanunimportantquantityofairasifitwereapill,andcontinued:

\"Thenextthinghedodoistothinkaboutalteringthechurch,untilhefound’twouldbeamattero’costandwhatnot,andthennottothinknomoreaboutit。\"

\"True:thatwasthenextthinghedone。\"

\"Andthenextthingwastotelltheyoungchapsthattheywerenotonnoaccounttoputtheirhatsinthechristeningfontduringservice。\"

\"True。\"

\"Andthen’twasthis,andthen’twasthat,andnow’tis——\"

Wordswerenotforcibleenoughtoconcludethesentence,andMr。

Pennygaveahugepulltosignifytheconcludingword。

\"Now’tistoturnusoutofthequireneckandcrop,\"saidthetranterafteranintervalofhalfaminute,notbywayofexplainingthepauseandpull,whichhadbeenquiteunderstood,butasameansofkeepingthesubjectwellbeforethemeeting。

Mrs。Pennycametothedooratthispointinthediscussion。Likeallgoodwives,howevermuchshewasinclinedtoplaytheTorytoherhusband’sWhiggism,andviceversa,intimesofpeace,shecoalescedwithhimheartilyenoughintimeofwar。

\"Itmustbeownedhe’snotallthere,\"sherepliedinageneralwaytothefragmentsoftalkshehadheardfromindoors。\"FarbelowpoorMr。Grinham\"(thelatevicar)。

\"Ay,therewasthistobesaidforhe,thatyouwerequitesurehe’dnevercomemumbudgetingtoseeye,justasyouwereinthemiddleofyourwork,andputyououtwithhisfussandtroubleaboutye。\"

\"Never。ButasforthisnewMr。Maybold,thoughhemidbeaverywell—intendingpartyinthatrespect,he’sunbearable;forastosiftingyourcinders,scrubbingyourfloors,oremptyingyourslops,why,youcan’tdoit。IassureyouI’venotbeenabletoemptthemforseveraldays,unlessIthrow’emupthechimleyoroutofwinder;forassureasthesunyoumeethimatthedoor,comingtoaskhowyouare,and’tissuchaconfusingthingtomeetagentlemanatthedoorwhenyeareinthemesso’washing。\"

\"’Tisonlyforwantofknowingbetter,poorgentleman,\"saidthetranter。\"Hismeaning’sgoodenough。Ay,yourpa’soncomesbyfate:’tisheadsortails,likepitch—halfpenny,andnochoosing;

sowemusttakeenasheis,mysonnies,andthankGodhe’snoworse,Isuppose。\"

\"IfancyI’veseenhimlookacrossatMissDayinawarmerwaythanChristianityaskedfor,\"saidMrs。Pennymusingly;\"butIdon’tquiteliketosayit。\"

\"Ono;there’snothinginthat,\"saidgrandfatherWilliam。

\"Ifthere’snothing,weshallseenothing,\"Mrs。Pennyreplied,inthetoneofawomanwhomightpossiblyhaveprivateopinionsstill。

\"Ah,Mr。Grinhamwastheman!\"saidBowman。\"Why,henevertroubleduswi’avisitfromyear’sendtoyear’send。Youmightgoanywhere,doanything:you’dbesurenevertoseehim。\"

\"Yes,hewasarightsensiblepa’son,\"saidMichael。\"Heneverenteredourdoorbutonceinhislife,andthatwastotellmypoorwife——ay,poorsoul,deadandgonenow,asweallshallI——thatasshewassucha’oldagedperson,andlivedsofarfromthechurch,hedidn’tatallexpecthertocomeanymoretotheservice。\"

\"And’awasaveryjinerousgentlemanaboutchoosingthepsalmsandhymnso’Sundays。’Confoundye,’sayshe,’blareandscrapewhatyewill,butdon’tbotherme!’\"

\"Andhewasaveryhonourablemaninnotwantinganyofustocomeandhearhimifwewereallon—endforajauntorspree,ortobringthebabiestobechristenediftheywereinclinedtosqualling。

There’sgoodinaman’snotputtingaparishtounnecessarytrouble。\"

\"Andthere’sthisheremanneverlettingushaveabito’peace;butkeepingonaboutbeinggoodanduprighttill’tiscarriedtosuchapitchasIneverseethelikeaforenorsince!\"

\"Nosoonerhadhegotherethanhefoundthefontwouldn’tholdwater,asithadn’tforyearsoffandon;andwhenItoldhimthatMr。Grinhamnevermindedit,butusedtospetuponhisvingerandchristen’emjustaswell,’asaid,’GoodHeavens!Sendforaworkmanimmediate。WhatplacehaveIcometo!’Whichwasnocomplimenttous,cometothat。\"

\"Still,formypart,\"saidoldWilliam,\"thoughhe’sarrayedagainstus,Iliketheheartyborussnoruswaysofthenewpa’son。\"

\"You,readytodieforthequire,\"saidBowmanreproachfully,\"tostickupforthequire’senemy,William!\"

\"Nobodywillfeelthelossofourchurch—worksomuchasI,\"saidtheoldmanfirmly;\"thatyoud’allknow。I’vea—beeninthequiremanandboyeversinceIwasachielofeleven。Butforallthat’tisn’tinmetocallthemanabadman,becauseItrulyandsincerelybelieveentobeagoodyoungfeller。\"

SomeoftheyouthfulsparklethatusedtoresidethereanimatedWilliam’seyeasheutteredthewords,andacertainnobilityofaspectwasalsoimpartedtohimbythesettingsun,whichgavehimaTitanicshadowatleastthirtyfeetinlength,stretchingawaytotheeastinoutlinesofimposingmagnitude,hisheadfinallyterminatinguponthetrunkofagrandoldoak—tree。

\"Mayble’saheartyfellerenough,\"thetranterreplied,\"andwillspaktoyoubeyoudirtyorbeyouclane。ThefirsttimeImetenwasinadrong,andthough’adidn’tknowmenomorethanthedead,’apassedthetimeofday。’D’yedo?’hesaid,sayshe,noddinghishead。’Afineday。’ThenthesecondtimeImetenwasfull—buffintownstreet,whenmybreechesweretoreintoalongstrentbygettingthroughacopseofthornsandbrimblesforashortcuthome—

along;andnotwantingtodisgracethemanbyspakinginthatstate,Ifixedmyeyeontheweathercocktoletenpassmeasastranger。

Butno:’Howd’yedo,Reuben?’sayshe,righthearty,andshookmyhand。IfI’dbeendressedinsilverspanglesfromtoptotoe,themancouldn’thavebeenciviller。\"

AtthismomentDickwasseencomingupthevillage—street,andtheyturnedandwatchedhim。