"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。
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