NB。——FURNITURE,COALS,POTATOES,LIVEANDDEADSTOCK,REMOVEDTOANY
DISTANCEONTHESHORTESTNOTICE。
Mr。Mayboldleantovertheparapetofthebridgeandlookedintotheriver。Hesaw——withoutheeding——howthewatercamerapidlyfrombeneaththearches,glideddownalittlesteep,thenspreaditselfoverapoolinwhichdace,trout,andminnowssportedateaseamongthelonggreenlocksofweedthatlayheavingandsinkingwiththeirrootstowardsthecurrent。Attheendoftenminutesspentleaningthus,hedrewfromhispocketthelettertohisfriend,toreitdeliberatelyintosuchminutefragmentsthatscarcelytwosyllablesremainedinjuxtaposition,andsentthewholehandfulofshredsflutteringintothewater。Herehewatchedthemeddy,dart,andturn,astheywerecarrieddownwardstowardstheoceanandgraduallydisappearedfromhisview。Finallyhemovedoff,andpursuedhiswayatarapidpacebackagaintoMellstockVicarage。
Nervinghimselfbyalongandintenseeffort,hesatdowninhisstudyandwroteasfollows:
\"DEARMISSDAY,——Themeaningofyourwords,’thetemptationistoostrong,’ofyoursadnessandyourtears,hasbeenbroughthometomebyanaccident。Iknowto—daywhatIdidnotknowyesterday——thatyouarenotafreewoman。
\"Whydidyounottellme——whydidn’tyou?DidyousupposeIknew?
No。HadIknown,myconductincomingtoyouasIdidwouldhavebeenreprehensible。
\"ButIdon’tchideyou!Perhapsnoblameattachestoyou——Ican’ttell。Fancy,thoughmyopinionofyouisassailedanddisturbedinawaywhichcannotbeexpressed,Iloveyoustill,andmywordtoyouholdsgoodyet。Butwillyou,injusticetoanhonestmanwhoreliesuponyourwordtohim,considerwhether,underthecircumstances,youcanhonourablyforsakehim?——Yourseversincerely,\"ARTHURMAYBOLD。\"
Herangthebell。\"TellCharlestotakethesecopybooksandthisnotetotheschoolatonce。\"
Themaidtooktheparcelandtheletter,andinafewminutesaboywasseentoleavethevicaragegate,withtheoneunderhisarm,andtheotherinhishand。Thevicarsatwithhishandtohisbrow,watchingtheladashedescendedChurchLaneandenteredthewatersidepathwhichintervenedbetweenthatspotandtheschool。
Herehewasmetbyanotherboy,andafterafreesalutationandpugilisticfriskhadpassedbetweenthetwo,thesecondboycameonhiswaytothevicarage,andtheothervanishedoutofsight。
Theboycametothedoor,andanoteforMr。Mayboldwasbroughtin。
Heknewthewriting。Openingtheenvelopewithanunsteadyhand,hereadthesubjoinedwords:
\"DEARMR。MAYBOLD,——Ihavebeenthinkingseriouslyandsadlythroughthewholeofthenightofthequestionyouputtomelasteveningandofmyanswer。Thatanswer,asanhonestwoman,Ihadnorighttogive。
\"Itismynature——perhapsallwomen’s——toloverefinementofmindandmanners;butevenmorethanthis,tobeeverfascinatedwiththeideaofsurroundingsmoreelegantandpleasingthanthosewhichhavebeencustomary。Andyoupraisedme,andpraiseislifetome。Itwasalonemysensationsatthesethingswhichpromptedmyreply。
Ambitionandvanitytheywouldbecalled;perhapstheyareso。
\"AfterthisexplanationIhopeyouwillgenerouslyallowmetowithdrawtheanswerItoohastilygave。
\"Andonemorerequest。Tokeepthemeetingoflastnight,andallthatpassedbetweenusthere,foreverasecret。Wereittobecomeknown,itwouldutterlyblightthehappinessofatrustingandgenerousman,whomIlovestill,andshalllovealways。——Yourssincerely,\"FANCYDAY。
ThelastwrittencommunicationthateverpassedfromthevicartoFancy,wasanotecontainingthesewordsonly:
\"Tellhimeverything;itisbest。Hewillforgiveyou。\"
PARTTHEFIFTH:CONCLUSION
CHAPTERI:’THEKNOTTHERE’SNOUNTYING’
Thelastdayofthestoryisdatedjustsubsequenttothatpointinthedevelopmentoftheseasonswhencountrypeoplegotobedamongnearlynakedtrees,arelulledtosleepbyafallofrain,andawakenextmorningamonggreenones;whenthelandscapeappearsembarrassedwiththesuddenweightandbrilliancyofitsleaves;
whenthenight—jarcomesandstrikesupforthesummerhistuneofonenote;whentheapple—treeshavebloomed,andtheroadsandorchard—grassbecomespottedwithfallenpetals;whenthefacesofthedelicateflowersaredarkened,andtheirheadsweigheddown,bythethrongofhoney—bees,whichincreasetheirhummingtillhummingistoomildatermfortheall—pervadingsound;andwhencuckoos,blackbirds,andsparrows,thathavehithertobeenmerryandrespectfulneighbours,becomenoisyandpersistentintimates。
TheexteriorofGeoffreyDay’shouseinYalburyWoodappearedexactlyaswasusualatthatseason,butafranticbarkingofthedogsatthebacktoldofunwontedmovementssomewherewithin。
Insidethedoortheeyesbeheldagathering,whichwasararityindeedforthedwellingofthesolitarywood—stewardandkeeper。
Abouttheroomweresittingandstanding,invariousgnarledattitudes,ouroldacquaintance,grandfathersJamesandWilliam,thetranter,Mr。Penny,twoorthreechildren,includingJimmyandCharley,besidesthreeorfourcountryladiesandgentlemenfromagreaterdistancewhodonotrequireanydistinctionbyname。
Geoffreywasseenandheardstampingabouttheouthouseandamongthebushesofthegarden,attendingtodetailsofdailyroutinebeforethepropertimearrivedfortheirperformance,inorderthattheymightbeoffhishandsfortheday。Heappearedwithhisshirt—sleevesrolledup;hisbestnewnethergarments,inwhichhehadarrayedhimselfthatmorning,beingtemporarilydisguisedunderaweekdayapronwhilsttheseproceedingswereinoperation。Heoccasionallyglancedatthehivesinpassing,toseeifhiswife’sbeeswereswarming,ultimatelyrollingdownhisshirt—sleevesandgoingindoors,talkingtotranterDewywhilstbuttoningthewristbands,tosavetime;nextgoingupstairsforhisbestwaistcoat,andcomingdownagaintomakeanotherremarkwhilstbuttoningthat,duringthetimelookingfixedlyinthetranter’sfaceasifhewerealooking—glass。
Thefurniturehadundergoneattenuationtoanalarmingextent,everyduplicatepiecehavingbeenremoved,includingtheclockbyThomasWood;EzekielSaundersbeingatlastleftsolerefereeinmattersoftime。
Fancywasstationaryupstairs,receivingherlayersofclothesandadornments,andansweringbyshortfragmentsoflaughterwhichhadmorefidgetinessthanmirthinthem,remarksthatweremadefromtimetotimebyMrs。DewyandMrs。Penny,whowereassistingheratthetoilet,Mrs。Dayhavingpleadedaqueernessinherheadasareasonforshuttingherselfupinaninnerbedroomforthewholemorning。Mrs。Pennyappearedwithninecorkscrewcurlsoneachsideofhertemples,andabackcombstuckuponhercrownlikeacastleonasteep。
Theconversationjustnowgoingonwasconcerningthebanns,thelastpublicationofwhichhadbeenontheSundayprevious。
\"Andhowdidtheysound?\"Fancysubtlyinquired。
\"Verybeautifulindeed,\"saidMrs。Penny。\"Ineverheardanysoundbetter。\"
\"ButHOW?\"
\"O,SOnaturalandelegant,didn’tthey,Reuben!\"shecried,throughthechinksoftheunceiledfloor,tothetranterdownstairs。
\"What’sthat?\"saidthetranter,lookingupinquiringlyatthefloorabovehimforananswer。
\"Didn’tDickandFancysoundwellwhentheywerecalledhomeinchurchlastSunday?\"camedownwardsagaininMrs。Penny’svoice。
\"Ay,thattheydid,mysonnies!——especiallythefirsttime。Therewasaterriblewhisperingpieceofworkinthecongregation,wasn’tthere,neighbourPenny?\"saidthetranter,takingupthethreadofconversationonhisownaccountand,inordertobeheardintheroomabove,speakingveryloudtoMr。Penny,whosatatthedistanceofthreefeetfromhim,orratherless。
\"Inevercanmindseeingsuchawhisperingastherewas,\"saidMr。
Penny,alsoloudly,totheroomabove。\"Andsuchsorrowfulenvyonthemaidens’faces;really,Ineverdidseesuchenvyastherewas!\"
Fancy’slineamentsvariedininnumerablelittleflushes,andherheartpalpitatedinnumerablelittletremorsofpleasure。\"Butperhaps,\"shesaid,withassumedindifference,\"itwasonlybecausenoreligionwasgoingonjustthen?\"
\"O,no;nothingtodowiththat。’Twasbecauseofyourhighstandingintheparish。ItwasjustasiftheyhadoneandallcaughtDickkissingandcolingyetodeath,wasn’tit,Mrs。Dewy?\"
\"Ay;that’twas。\"
\"Howpeoplewilltalkaboutone’sdoings!\"Fancyexclaimed。
\"Well,ifyoumakesongsaboutyourself,mydear,youcan’tblameotherpeopleforsinging’em。\"
\"Mercyme!howshallIgothroughit?\"saidtheyoungladyagain,butmerelytothoseinthebedroom,withabreathingofakindbetweenasighandapant,roundshiningeyes,andwarmface。
\"O,you’llgetthroughitwellenough,child,\"saidMrs。Dewyplacidly。\"Theedgeoftheperformanceistookoffatthecallinghome;andwhenonceyougetuptothechancelendo’thechurch,youfeelassaucyasyouplease。I’msureIfeltasbraveasasodgerallthroughthedeed——thoughofcourseIdroppedmyfaceandlookedmodest,aswasbecomingtoamaid。Mindyoudothat,Fancy。\"
\"AndIwalkedintothechurchasquietasalamb,I’msure,\"
subjoinedMrs。Penny。\"There,youseePennyissuchalittlesmallman,Butcertainly,Iwasflurriedintheinsideo’me。Well,thinksI,’tistobe,andheregoes!Anddoyoudothesame:say,’’Tistobe,andheregoes!’\"
\"Istheresuchwonderfulvirtuein’’Tistobe,andheregoes!’\"
inquiredFancy。
\"Wonderful!’Twillcarryabodythroughitallfromweddingtochurching,ifyouonlyletitoutwithspiritenough。\"
\"Verywell,then,\"saidFancy,blushing。\"’Tistobe,andheregoes!\"
\"That’sagirlforahusband!\"saidMrs。Dewy。
\"Idohopehe’llcomeintime!\"continuedthebride—elect,inventinganewcauseofaffright,nowthattheotherwasdemolished。
\"’Twouldbeathousandpitiesifhedidn’tcome,nowyouhesobrave,\"saidMrs。Penny。
GrandfatherJames,havingoverheardsomeoftheseremarks,saiddownstairswithmischievousloudness——\"I’veknownsomewould—beweddingswhenthemendidn’tcome。\"
\"They’vehappenednottocome,beforenow,certainly,\"saidMr。
Penny,cleaningoneoftheglassesofhisspectacles。
\"O,dohearwhattheyaresayingdownstairs,\"whisperedFancy。
\"Hush,hush!\"
Shelistened。
\"Theyhave,haven’tthey,Geoffrey?\"continuedgrandfatherJames,asGeoffreyentered。
\"Havewhat?\"saidGeoffrey。
\"Themenhavebeenknownnottocome。\"
\"Thattheyhave,\"saidthekeeper。
\"Ay;I’veknowedtimeswhentheweddinghadtobeputoffthroughhisnotappearing,beingtiredofthewoman。AndanothercaseI
knowedwaswhenthemanwascatchedinaman—trapcrossingOaker’sWood,andthethreemonthshadrunoutbeforehegotwell,andthebannshadtobepublishedoveragain。\"
\"Howhorrible!\"saidFancy。
\"Theyonlysayitonpurposetotease’ee,mydear,\"saidMrs。Dewy。
\"’Tisquitesadtothinkwhatwretchedshiftspoormaidshavebeenputto,\"cameagainfromdownstairs。\"YeshouldhearClerkWilkins,mybrother—law,tellhisexperiencesinmarryingcouplestheselastthirtyyear:sometimesonething,sometimesanother——’tisquiteheart—rending——enoughtomakeyourhairstandonend。\"
\"Thosethingsdon’thappenveryoften,Iknow,\"saidFancy,withsmoulderinguneasiness。
\"Well,really’tistimeDickwashere,\"saidthetranter。
\"Don’tkeeponatmeso,grandfatherJamesandMr。Dewy,andallyoudownthere!\"Fancybrokeout,unabletoendureanylonger。\"IamsureIshalldie,ordosomething,ifyoudo!\"
\"Neveryouhearkentotheseoldchaps,MissDay!\"criedNatCallcome,thebestman,whohadjustentered,andthrewhisvoiceupwardthroughthechinksofthefloorastheothershaddone。
\"’Tisallright;Dick’scomingonlikeawildfeller;he’llbehereinaminute。Thehiveo’beeshismothergie’denforhisnewgardenswarmedjistashewasstarting,andhesaid,\"Ican’taffordtoloseastocko’bees;no,thatIcan’t,thoughIfainwould;andFancywouldn’twishitonanyaccount。\"Sohejiststoppedtotingto’emandshake’em。\"
\"Agenuinewiseman,\"saidGeoffrey。
\"Tobesure,whataday’sworkwehadyesterday!\"Mr。Callcomecontinued,loweringhisvoiceasifitwerenotnecessaryanylongertoincludethoseintheroomaboveamonghisaudience,andselectingaremotecornerofhisbestcleanhandkerchiefforwipinghisface。
\"Tobesure!\"
\"Thingssoheavy,Isuppose,\"saidGeoffrey,asifreadingthroughthechimney—windowfromthefarendofthevista。
\"Ay,\"saidNat,lookingroundtheroomatpointsfromwhichfurniturehadbeenremoved。\"Andsoawkwardtocarry,too。’Twasath’artandacrossDick’sgarden;inandoutDick’sdoor;upanddownDick’sstairs;roundandroundDick’schammerstilllegswereworntostumps:andDickissoparticular,too。Andthestoresofvictualsanddrinkthatladhaslaidin:why,’tisenoughforNoah’sark!I’msureIneverwishtoseeachoicerhalf—dozenofhamsthanhe’sgotthereinhischimley;andtheciderItastedwasaveryprettydrop,indeed;——nonecoulddesireaprettiercider。\"
\"Theybefortheloveandthestalledoxboth,Ah,thegreedymartels!\"saidgrandfatherJames。
\"Well,may—betheybe。Surely,\"saysI,\"thatcouplebetween’emhaveheapedupsomuchfurnitureandvictuals,thatanybodywouldthinktheyweregoingtotakeholdthebigendofmarriedlifefirst,andbeginwi’agrown—upfamily。Ah,whatabathofheatwetwochapswerein,tobesure,a—gettingthatfurnitureinorder!\"
\"Idosowishtheroombelowwasceiled,\"saidFancy,asthedressingwenton;\"wecanhearalltheysayanddodownthere。\"
\"Hark!Who’sthat?\"exclaimedasmallpupil—teacher,whoalsoassistedthismorning,tohergreatdelight。Sheranhalf—waydownthestairs,andpeepedroundthebanister。\"O,youshould,youshould,youshould!\"sheexclaimed,scramblinguptotheroomagain。
\"What?\"saidFancy。
\"Seethebridesmaids!They’vejustacome!’Tiswonderful,really!
’tiswonderfulhowmuslincanbebroughttoit。There,theydon’tlookabitlikethemselves,butlikesomeveryrichsisterso’
theirsthatnobodyknewtheyhad!\"
\"Make’emcomeuptome,make’emcomeup!\"criedFancyecstatically;andthefourdamselsappointed,namely,MissSusanDewy,MissBessieDewy,MissVashtiSniff,andMissMercyOnmey,surgedupstairs,andfloatedalongthepassage。
\"IwishDickwouldcome!\"wasagaintheburdenofFancy。
Thesameinstantasmalltwigandflowerfromthecreeperoutsidethedoorflewinattheopenwindow,andamasculinevoicesaid,\"Ready,Fancydearest?\"
\"Thereheis,heis!\"criedFancy,titteringspasmodically,andbreathingasitwereforthefirsttimethatmorning。
Thebridesmaidscrowdedtothewindowandturnedtheirheadsinthedirectionpointedout,atwhichmotioneightearringsallswungasone:——notlookingatDickbecausetheyparticularlywantedtoseehim,butwithanimportantsenseoftheirdutyasobedientministersofthewillofthatapotheosisedbeing——theBride。
\"Helooksverytaking!\"saidMissVashtiSniff,ayoungladywhoblushedcream—colourandworeyellowbonnetribbons。
Dickwasadvancingtothedoorinapainfullynewcoatofshiningcloth,primrose—colouredwaistcoat,hatofthesamepainfulstyleofnewness,andwithanextraquantityofwhiskersshavedoffhisface,andhaircuttoanunwontedshortnessinhonouroftheoccasion。
\"Now,I’llrundown,\"saidFancy,lookingatherselfoverhershoulderintheglass,andflittingoff。
\"ODick!\"sheexclaimed,\"Iamsogladyouarecome!Iknewyouwould,ofcourse,butIthought,Ohifyoushouldn’t!\"
\"Notcome,Fancy!Hetorwet,bloworsnow,herecomeIto—day!
Why,what’spossessingyourlittlesoul?Youneverusedtomindsuchthingsabit。\"
\"Ah,Mr。Dick,Ihadn’thoistedmycoloursandcommittedmyselfthen!\"saidFancy。
\"’TisapityIcan’tmarrythewholefiveofye!\"saidDick,surveyingthemallround。
\"Heh—heh—heh!\"laughedthefourbridesmaids,andFancyprivatelytouchedDickandsmoothedhimdownbehindhisshoulder,asiftoassureherselfthathewasthereinfleshandbloodasherownproperty。
\"Well,whoeverwouldhavethoughtsuchathing?\"saidDick,takingoffhishat,sinkingintoachair,andturningtotheeldermembersofthecompany。
Thelatterarrangedtheireyesandlipstosignifythatintheiropinionnobodycouldhavethoughtsuchathing,whateveritwas。
\"Thatmybeesshouldha’swarmedjustthen,ofalltimesandseasons!\"continuedDick,throwingacomprehensiveglancelikeanetoverthewholeauditory。\"And’tisafineswarm,too:Ihaven’tseensuchafineswarmforthesetenyears。\"
\"A’excellentsign,\"saidMrs。Penny,fromthedepthsofexperience。
\"A’excellentsign。\"
\"Iamgladeverythingseemssoright,\"saidFancywithabreathofrelief。
\"AndsoamI,\"saidthefourbridesmaidswithmuchsympathy。
\"Well,beescan’tbeputoff,\"observedtheinharmoniousgrandfatherJames。\"Marryingawomanisathingyoucandoatanymoment;butaswarmo’beeswon’tcomefortheasking。\"
Dickfannedhimselfwithhishat。\"Ican’tthink,\"hesaidthoughtfully,\"whatever’twasIdidtooffendMr。Maybold,amanI
likesomuchtoo。Herathertooktomewhenhecamefirst,andusedtosayheshouldliketoseememarried,andthathe’dmarryme,whethertheyoungwomanIchoselivedinhisparishorno。IjusthintedtohimofitwhenIputinthebanns,buthedidn’tseemtotakekindlytothenotionnow,andsoIsaidnomore。Iwonderhowitwas。\"
\"Iwonder!\"saidFancy,lookingintovacancywiththosebeautifuleyesofhers——toorefinedandbeautifulforatranter’swife;but,perhaps,nottoogood。
\"Alteredhismind,asfolkswill,Isuppose,\"saidthetranter。
\"Well,mysonnies,there’llheagoodstrongpartylookingatusto—
dayaswegoalong。\"
\"Andthebodyofthechurch,\"saidGeoffrey,\"willbelinedwithfemales,andarowofyoungfellers’heads,asfardownastheeyes,willbenoticedjustabovethesillsofthechancel—winders。\"
\"Ay,you’vebeenthroughittwice,\"saidReuben,\"andwellmidknow。\"
\"Icanputupwithitforonce,\"saidDick,\"ortwiceeither,oradozentimes。\"
\"ODick!\"saidFancyreproachfully。
\"Why,dear,that’snothing,——onlyjustabitofaflourish。Youbeasnervousasacatto—day。\"
\"Andthen,ofcourse,when’tisallover,\"continuedthetranter,\"weshallmarchtwoandtworoundtheparish。\"
\"Yes,sure,\"saidMr。Penny:\"twoandtwo:everymanhitcheduptohiswoman,’ab’lieve。\"
\"Inevercanmakeashowofmyselfinthatway!\"saidFancy,lookingatDicktoascertainifhecould。
\"I’magreedtoanythingyouandthecompanylike,mydear!\"saidMr。
RichardDewyheartily。
\"Why,wedidwhenweweremarried,didn’twe,Ann?\"saidthetranter;\"andsodoeverybody,mysonnies。\"
\"Andsodidwe,\"saidFancy’sfather。
\"AndsodidPennyandI,\"saidMrs。Penny:\"IworemybestBathclogs,Iremember,andPennywascrossbecauseitmademelooksotall。\"
\"Andsodidfatherandmother,\"saidMissMercyOnmey。
\"AndImeanto,comenextChristmas!\"saidNatthegroomsmanvigorously,andlookingtowardsthepersonofMissVashtiSniff。
\"Respectablepeopledon’tnowadays,\"saidFancy。\"Still,sincepoormotherdid,Iwill。\"
\"Ay,\"resumedthetranter,\"’twasonaWhiteTuesdaywhenI
committedit。MellstockClubwalkedthesameday,andwenew—
marriedfolkwenta—gayingroundtheparishbehind’em。EverybodyusedtowearsomethingwhiteatWhitsuntideinthemdays。Mysonnies,I’vegottheverywhitetrousersthatIwore,athomeinboxnow,Ha’n’tI,Ann?\"
\"YouhadtillIcut’emupforJimmy,\"saidMrs。Dewy。
\"Andweought,byrights,afterdoingthisparish,togoroundHigherandLowerMellstock,andcallatViney’s,andsoworkourwayhitheragainacrossHe’th,\"saidMr。Penny,recoveringscentofthematterinhand。\"DairymanVineyisaveryrespectableman,andsoisFarmerKex,andweoughttoshowourselvestothem。\"
\"True,\"saidthetranter,\"weoughttogoroundMellstocktodothethingwell。Weshallformaverystrikingobjectwalkingalonginrotation,good—now,neighbours?\"
\"Thatweshall:aproperprettysightforthenation,\"saidMrs。
Penny。
\"Hullo!\"saidthetranter,suddenlycatchingsightofasingularhumanfigurestandinginthedoorway,andwearingalongsmock—frockofpillow—casecutandofsnowywhiteness。\"Why,Leaf!whateverdostthoudohere?\"
\"I’vecometoknowifsobeIcancometothewedding——hee—hee!\"
saidLeafinavoiceoftimidity。
\"Now,Leaf,\"saidthetranterreproachfully,\"youknowwedon’twant’eehereto—day:we’vegotnoroomforye,Leaf。\"
\"ThomasLeaf,ThomasLeaf,fieuponyeforprying!\"saidoldWilliam。
\"IknowI’vegotnohead,butIthought,ifIwashedandputonaclaneshirtandsmock—frock,Imightjustcall,\"saidLeaf;turningawaydisappointedandtrembling。
\"Poorfeller!\"saidthetranter,turningtoGeoffrey。\"Supposewemustletencome?Hislooksareratheragainsten,andheisterriblesilly;but’ahaveneverbeeninjail,and’awon’tdonoharm。\"
Leaflookedwithgratitudeatthetranterforthesepraises,andthenanxiouslyatGeoffrey,toseewhateffecttheywouldhaveinhelpinghiscause。
\"Ay,letencome,\"saidGeoffreydecisively。\"Leaf,th’rtwelcome,’stknow;\"andLeafaccordinglyremained。
Theywerenowallreadyforleavingthehouse,andbegantoformaprocessioninthefollowingorder:Fancyandherfather,DickandSusanDewy,NatCallcomeandVashtiSniff,TedWaywoodandMercyOnmey,andJimmyandBessieDewy。Theseformedtheexecutive,andallappearedinstrictweddingattire。ThencamethetranterandMrs。Dewy,andlastofallMr。andMrs。Penny;——thetranterconspicuousbyhisenormousgloves,sizeelevenandthree—quarters,whichappearedatadistancelikeboxingglovesbleached,andsatratherawkwardlyuponhisbrownhands;thishall—markofrespectabilityhavingbeensetuponhimselfto—day(byFancy’sspecialrequest)forthefirsttimeinhislife。
\"Theproperwayisforthebridesmaidstowalktogether,\"suggestedFancy。
\"What?’Twasalwaysyoungmanandyoungwoman,armincrook,inmytime!\"saidGeoffrey,astounded。
\"Andinmine!\"saidthetranter。
\"Andinours!\"saidMr。andMrs。Penny。
\"Neverheardo’suchathingaswomanandwoman!\"saidoldWilliam;
who,withgrandfatherJamesandMrs。Day,wastostayathome。
\"Whicheverwayyouandthecompanylike,mydear!\"saidDick,who,beingonthepointofsecuringhisrighttoFancy,seemedwillingtorenounceallotherrightsintheworldwiththegreatestpleasureThedecisionwaslefttoFancy。
\"Well,IthinkI’dratherhaveitthewaymotherhadit,\"shesaid,andthecouplesmovedalongunderthetrees,everymantohismaid。
\"Ah!\"saidgrandfatherJamestograndfatherWilliamastheyretired,\"Iwonderwhichshethinksmostabout,Dickorherweddingraiment!\"
\"Well,’tistheirnature,\"saidgrandfatherWilliam。\"RememberthewordsoftheprophetJeremiah:’Canamaidforgetherornaments,orabrideherattire?’\"
Nowamongdarkperpendicularfirs,liketheshaftedcolumnsofacathedral;nowthroughahazelcopse,mattedwithprimrosesandwildhyacinths;nowunderbroadbeechesinbrightyoungleavestheythreadedtheirwayintothehighroadoverYalburyHill,whichdippedatthatpointdirectlyintothevillageofGeoffreyDay’sparish;andinthespaceofaquarterofanhourFancyfoundherselftobeMrs。RichardDewy,though,muchtohersurprise,feelingnootherthanFancyDaystill。
Onthecircuitousreturnwalkthroughthelanesandfields,amidmuchchatteringandlaughter,especiallywhentheycametostiles,Dickdiscernedabrownspotfarupaturnipfield。
\"Why,’tisEnoch!\"hesaidtoFancy。\"IthoughtImissedhimatthehousethismorning。Howisithe’sleftyou?\"
\"Hedranktoomuchcider,anditgotintohishead,andtheyputhiminWeatherburystocksforit。Fatherwasobligedtogetsomebodyelseforadayortwo,andEnochhasn’thadanythingtodowiththewoodssince。\"
\"Wemightaskhimtocalldownto—night。Stocksarenothingforonce,considering’tisourweddingday。\"Thebridalpartywasorderedtohalt。
\"Eno—o—o—o—ch!\"criedDickatthetopofhisvoice。
\"Y—a—a—a—a—a—as!\"saidEnochfromthedistance。
\"D’yeknowwhoIbe—e—e—e—e—e?\"
\"No—o—o—o—o—o—o!\"
\"DickDew—w—w—w—wy!\"
\"O—h—h—h—h—h!\"
\"Justa—ma—a—a—a—a—arried!\"
\"O—h—h—h—h—h!\"
\"Thisismywife,Fa—a—a—a—a—ancy!\"(holdingheruptoEnoch’sviewasifshehadbeenanosegay。)
\"O—h—h—h—h—h!\"
\"Willyecomeacrosstothepartyto—ni—i—i—i—i—i—ight!\"
\"Ca—a—a—a—a—an’t!\"
\"Whyn—o—o—o—o—ot?\"
\"Don’tworkforthefamilyno—o—o—o—ow!\"
\"NotniceofMasterEnoch,\"saidDick,astheyresumedtheirwalk。
\"Youmustn’tblameen,\"saidGeoffrey;\"theman’snothisselfnow;
he’sinhismorningframeofmind。Whenhe’shadagallono’ciderorale,orapintortwoofmead,theman’swellenough,andhismannersbeasgoodasanybody’sinthekingdom。\"
CHAPTERII:UNDERTHEGREENWOODTREE
ThepointinYalburyWoodwhichabuttedontheendofGeoffreyDay’spremiseswasclosedwithanancienttree,horizontallyofenormousextent,thoughhavingnogreatpretensionstoheight。Manyhundredsofbirdshadbeenbornamidsttheboughsofthissingletree;tribesofrabbitsandhareshadnibbledatitsbarkfromyeartoyear;
quainttuftsoffungihadsprungfromthecavitiesofitsforks;andcountlessfamiliesofmolesandearthwormshadcreptaboutitsroots。Beneathandbeyonditsshadespreadacarefully—tendedgrass—plot,itspurposebeingtosupplyahealthyexercise—groundforyoungchickensandpheasants;thehens,theirmothers,beingenclosedincoopsplaceduponthesamegreenflooring。
Alltheseencumbranceswerenowremoved,andastheafternoonadvanced,theguestsgatheredonthespot,wheremusic,dancing,andthesingingofsongswentforwardwithgreatspiritthroughouttheevening。TheproprietyofeveryonewasintensebyreasonoftheinfluenceofFancy,who,asanadditionalprecautioninthisdirection,hadstrictlychargedherfatherandthetrantertocarefullyavoidsaying’thee’and’thou’intheirconversation,onthepleathatthoseancientwordssoundedsoveryhumiliatingtopersonsofnewertaste;alsothattheywerenevertobeseendrawingthebackofthehandacrossthemouthafterdrinking——alocalEnglishcustomofextraordinaryantiquity,butstatedbyFancytobedecidedlydyingoutamongthebetterclassesofsociety。
Inadditiontothelocalmusicianspresent,amanwhohadathoroughknowledgeofthetambourinewasinvitedfromthevillageofTantrumClangley,——aplacelongcelebratedfortheskillofitsinhabitantsasperformersoninstrumentsofpercussion。Theseimportantmembersoftheassemblywererelegatedtoaheightoftwoorthreefeetfromtheground,uponatemporaryerectionofplankssupportedbybarrels。Whilstthedancingprogressedtheolderpersonssatinagroupunderthetrunkofthetree,——thespacebeingallottedtothemsomewhatgrudginglybytheyoungones,whoweregreedyofpirouettingroom,——andfortifiedbyatableagainsttheheelsofthedancers。Herethegaffersandgammers,whosedancingdayswereover,toldstoriesofgreatimpressiveness,andatintervalssurveyedtheadvancingandretiringcouplesfromthesameretreat,aspeopleonshoremightbesupposedtosurveyanavalengagementinthebaybeyond;returningagaintotheirtaleswhenthepausewasover。Thoseofthewhirlingthrong,who,duringtherestsbetweeneachfigure,turnedtheireyesinthedirectionoftheseseatedones,wereonlyabletodiscover,onaccountofthemusicandbustle,thataverystrikingcircumstancewasincourseofnarration——denotedbyanemphaticsweepofthehand,snappingofthefingers,closeofthelips,andfixedlookintothecentreofthelistener’seyeforthespaceofaquarterofaminute,whichraisedinthatlistenersuchareciprocatingworkingoffaceastosometimesmakethedistantdancershalfwishtoknowwhatsuchaninterestingtalecouldreferto。
Fancycausedherlookstowearasmuchmatronlyexpressionaswasobtainableoutofsixhours’experienceasawife,inorderthatthecontrastbetweenherownstateoflifeandthatoftheunmarriedyoungwomenpresentmightbedulyimpresseduponthecompany:
occasionallystealingglancesofadmirationatherlefthand,butthisquiteprivately;forherostensiblebearingconcerningthematterwasintendedtoshowthat,thoughsheundoubtedlyoccupiedthemostwondrouspositionintheeyesoftheworldthathadeverbeenattained,shewasalmostunconsciousofthecircumstance,andthatthesomewhatprominentpositioninwhichthatwonderfully—
emblazonedlefthandwascontinuallyfoundtobeplaced,whenhandingcupsandsaucers,knives,forks,andglasses,wasquitetheresultofaccident。Astowishingtoexciteenvyinthebosomsofhermaidencompanions,bytheexhibitionoftheshiningring,everyonewastoknowitwasquiteforeigntothedignityofsuchanexperiencedmarriedwoman。Dick’simaginationinthemeantimewasfarlesscapableofdrawingsomuchwontednessfromhisnewcondition。Hehadbeenfortwoorthreehourstryingtofeelhimselfmerelyanewly—marriedman,buthadbeenabletogetnofurtherintheattemptthantorealizethathewasDickDewy,thetranter’sson,atapartygivenbyLordWessex’sheadman—in—charge,ontheoutlyingYalburyestate,dancingandchattingwithFancyDay。
Fivecountrydances,including’HastetotheWedding,’tworeels,andthreefragmentsofhorn—pipes,broughtthemtothetimeforsupper,which,onaccountofthedampnessofthegrassfromtheimmaturityofthesummerseason,wasspreadindoors。AttheconclusionofthemealDickwentouttoputthehorsein;andFancy,withtheelderhalfofthefourbridesmaids,retiredupstairstodressforthejourneytoDick’snewcottagenearMellstock。
\"Howlongwillyoubeputtingonyourbonnet,Fancy?\"Dickinquiredatthefootofthestaircase。Beingnowamanofbusinessandmarried,hewasstrongontheimportanceoftime,anddoubledtheemphasisofhiswordsinconversing,andaddedvigourtohisnods。
\"Onlyaminute。\"
\"Howlongisthat?\"
\"Well,dear,five。\"
\"Ah,sonnies!\"saidthetranter,asDickretired,\"’tisatalentofthefemaleracethatlownumbersshouldstandforhigh,moreespeciallyinmattersofwaiting,mattersofage,andmattersofmoney。\"
\"True,true,uponmybody,\"saidGeoffrey。
\"Yespakwithfeeling,Geoffrey,seemingly。\"
\"Anybodythatd’knowmyexperiencemightguessthat。\"
\"What’sshedoingnow,Geoffrey?\"
\"Claningoutalltheupstairsdrawersandcupboards,anddustingthesecond—bestchainey——athingthat’sonlydoneonceayear。’Ifthere’sworktobedoneImustdoit,’saysshe,’weddingorno。’\"
\"’Tismybeliefshe’saverygoodwomanatbottom。\"
\"She’sterribledeep,then。\"
Mrs。Pennyturnedround。\"Well,’tishumpsandhollerswiththebestofus;butstillandforallthat,DickandFancystandasfairachanceofhavingabitofsunsheenasanymarriedpairintheland。\"
\"Ay,there’snogainsayingit。\"
Mrs。Dewycameup,talkingtoonepersonandlookingatanother。
\"Happy,yes,\"shesaid。\"’TisalwayssowhenacoupleissoexactlyintunewithoneanotherasDickandshe。\"
\"Whentheybe’n’ttoopoortohavetimetosing,\"saidgrandfatherJames。
\"Itellye,neighbours,whenthepinchcomes,\"saidthetranter:
\"whentheoldestdaughter’sbootsbeonlyasizelessthanhermother’s,andtheresto’theflockclosebehindher。Asharptimeforamanthat,mysonnies;averysharptime!Chanticleer’scombisa—cutthen,’abelieve。\"
\"That’sabouttheformo’t,\"saidMr。Penny。\"That’llputthestunsuponaman,whenyoumustmeasuremotheranddaughter’slaststotell’emapart。\"
\"You’venocausetocomplain,Reuben,ofsuchaclose—comingflock,\"
saidMrs。Dewy;\"forourswasastragglinglotenough,Godknows!\"
\"Id’knowit,Id’knowit,\"saidthetranter。\"Youbeawell—enoughwoman,Ann。\"
Mrs。Dewyputhermouthintheformofasmile,andputitbackagainwithoutsmiling。
\"Andiftheycometogether,theygotogether,\"saidMrs。Penny,whosefamilyhadbeenthereverseofthetranter’s;\"andalittlemoneywillmakeeitherfatetolerable。Andmoneycanbemadebyouryoungcouple,Iknow。\"
\"Yes,thatitcan!\"saidtheimpulsivevoiceofLeaf,whohadhithertohumblyadmiredtheproceedingsfromacorner。\"Itcanbedone——allthat’swantedisafewpoundstobeginwith。That’sall!
Iknowastoryaboutit!\"
\"Let’shearthystory,Leaf;\"saidthetranter。\"Ineverknewyouwerecleverenoughtotellastory。Silence,allofye!Mr。Leafwilltellastory。\"
\"Tellyourstory,ThomasLeaf,\"saidgrandfatherWilliaminthetoneofaschoolmaster。
\"Once,\"saidthedelightedLeaf;inanuncertainvoice,\"therewasamanwholivedinahouse!Well,thismanwentthinkingandthinkingnightandday。Atlast,hesaidtohimself;asImight,’IfIhadonlytenpound,I’dmakeafortune。’Atlastbyhookorbycrook,beholdhegotthetenpounds!\"
\"Onlythinkofthat!\"saidNatCallcomesatirically。
\"Silence!\"saidthetranter。
\"Well,nowcomestheinterestingpartofthestory!Inalittletimehemadethattenpoundstwenty。Thenalittletimeafterthathedoubledit,andmadeitforty。Well,hewenton,andagoodwhileafterthathemadeiteighty,andontoahundred。Well,by—
and—byhemadeittwohundred!Well,you’dneverbelieveit,but——
hewentonandmadeitfourhundred!Hewenton,andwhatdidhedo?Why,hemadeiteighthundred!Yes,hedid,\"continuedLeaf;
inthehighestpitchofexcitement,bringingdownhisfistuponhiskneewithsuchforcethathequiveredwiththepain;\"yes,andhewentonandmadeitATHOUSAND!\"
\"Hear,hear!\"saidthetranter。\"BetterthanthehistoryofEngland,mysonnies!\"
\"Thankyouforyourstory,ThomasLeaf,\"saidgrandfatherWilliam;
andthenLeafgraduallysankintonothingnessagain。
Amidamedleyoflaughter,oldshoes,andelder—wine,Dickandhisbridetooktheirdeparture,sidebysideintheexcellentnewspring—cartwhichtheyoungtranternowpossessed。Themoonwasjustoverthefull,renderinganylightfromlampsortheirownbeautiesquiteunnecessarytothepair。TheydroveslowlyalongYalburyBottom,wheretheroadpassedbetweentwocopses。Dickwastalkingtohiscompanion。
\"Fancy,\"hesaid,\"whywearesohappyisbecausethereissuchfullconfidencebetweenus。EversincethattimeyouconfessedtothatlittleflirtationwithShinerbytheriver(whichwasreallynoflirtationatall),Ihavethoughthowartlessandgoodyoumustbetotellmeo’suchatriflingthing,andtobesofrightenedaboutitasyouwere。Ithaswonmetotellyoumyeverydeedandwordsincethen。We’llhavenosecretsfromeachother,darling,willweever?——nosecretatall。\"
\"Nonefromto—day,\"saidFancy。\"Hark!what’sthat?\"
Fromaneighbouringthicketwassuddenlyheardtoissueinaloud,musical,andliquidvoice—
\"Tippiwit!swe—e—et!ki—ki—ki!Comehither,comehither,comehither!\"
\"O,’tisthenightingale,\"murmuredshe,andthoughtofasecretshewouldnevertell。
Footnotes:
{1}This,alocalexpression,mustbeacorruptionofsomethinglessquestionable。