CHAPTER VI.

elikedeh,Mr.Macey?I’dkeephiminliverandlightsfornothing—thatIwould.” “Aye,aye,”saidMr.Macey,intheheightofcomplacency“ourfamily’sbeenknownformusicianersasfarbackasanybodycantell.Butthemthingsaredyingout,asItellSolomoneverytimehecomesroundthere’snovoiceslikewhatthereusedtobe,andthere’snobodyrememberswhatweremember,ifitisn’ttheoldcrows.” “Aye,yourememberwhenfirstMr.Lammeter’sfathercomeintotheseparts,don’tyou,Mr.Macey?”saidthelandlord. “IshouldthinkIdid,”saidtheoldman,whohadnowgonethroughthatcomplimentaryprocessnecessarytobringhimuptothepointofnarration“andafineoldgentlemanhewas—asfine,andfinernortheMr.Lammeterasnowis.Hecamefromabitnorth’ard,sofarasIcouldevermakeout.Butthere’snobodyrightlyknowsaboutthoseparts:onlyitcouldn’tbefarnorth’ard,normuchdifferentfromthiscountry,forhebroughtafinebreedo’sheepwithhim,sotheremustbepasturesthere,andeverythingreasonable.Wehearedtellashe’dsoldhisownlandtocomeandtaketheWarrens,andthatseemedoddforamanashadlandofhisown,tocomeandrentafarminastrangeplace.Buttheysaiditwasalongofhiswife’sdyingthoughthere’sreasonsinthingsasnobodyknowson—that’sprettymuchwhatI’vemadeoutyetsomefolksaresowise,they’llfindyoufiftyreasonsstraightoff,andallthewhiletherealreason’swinkingat’eminthecorner,andtheyniversee’t.Howsomever,itwassoonseenaswe’dgotanewparish’nerasknow’dtherightsandcustomso’things,andkepagoodhouse,andwaswelllookedonbyeverybody.Andtheyoungman—that’stheMr.Lammeterasnowis,forhe’dniverasister—soonbeguntocourtMissOsgood,that’sthesistero’theMr.Osgoodasnowis,andafinehandsomelassshewas—eh,youcan’tthink—theypretendthisyounglassislikeher,butthat’sthewaywi’peopleasdon’tknowwhatcomebefore’em.Ishouldknow,forIhelpedtheoldrector,Mr.Drumlowaswas,Ihelpedhimmarry’em.” HereMr.Maceypausedhealwaysgavehisnarrativeininstalments,expectingtobequestionedaccordingtoprecedent. “Aye,andapartic’larthinghappened,didn’tit,Mr.Macey,soasyouwerelikelytorememberthatmarriage?”saidthelandlord,inacongratulatorytone. “Ishouldthinktheredid—averypartic’larthing,”saidMr.Macey,noddingsideways.“ForMr.Drumlow—pooroldgentleman,Iwasfondonhim,thoughhe’dgotabitconfusedinhishead,whatwi’ageandwi’takingadropo’summatwarmwhentheservicecomeofacoldmorning.AndyoungMr.Lammeter,he’dhavenowaybuthemustbemarriedinJaniwary,which,tobesure,’saunreasonabletimetobemarriedin,foritisn’tlikeachristeningoraburying,asyoucan’thelpandsoMr.Drumlow—pooroldgentleman,Iwasfondonhim—butwhenhecometoputthequestions,heput’embytheruleo’contrairy,like,andhesays,“Wiltthouhavethismantothyweddedwife?”sayshe,andthenhesays,“Wiltthouhavethiswomantothyweddedhusband?”sayshe.Butthepartic’larestthingofallis,asnobodytookanynoticeonitbutme,andtheyansweredstraightoff“yes”,likeasifithadbeenmesaying“Amen”i’therightplace,withoutlisteningtowhatwentbefore.” “Butyouknewwhatwasgoingonwellenough,didn’tyou,Mr.Macey?Youwereliveenough,eh?”saidthebutcher. “Lorblessyou!”saidMr.Macey,pausing,andsmilinginpityattheimpotenceofhishearer’simagination—“why,Iwasallofatremble:itwasasifI’dbeenacoatpulledbythetwotails,likeforIcouldn’tstoptheparson,Icouldn’ttakeuponmetodothatandyetIsaidtomyself,Isays,“Supposetheyshouldn’tbefastmarried,’causethewordsarecontrairy?”andmyheadwentworkinglikeamill,forIwasallaysuncommonforturningthingsoverandseeingallround’emandIsaystomyself,“Is’tthemeanin’orthewordsasmakesfolksfasti’wedlock?”Fortheparsonmeantright,andthebrideandbridegroommeantright.Butthen,whenIcometothinkonit,meanin’goesbutalittlewayi’mostthings,foryoumaymeantostickthingstogetherandyourgluemaybebad,andt