CHAPTER XI.

. “Didyoueverhearthelike?”saidMrs.Kimble,laughingaboveherdoublechinwithmuchgood-humour,asidetoMrs.Crackenthorp,whoblinkedandnodded,andseemedtointendasmile,which,bythecorrelationofforces,wentoffinsmalltwitchingsandnoises. “Isupposethat’sthesortoftit-for-tatadoptedinyourprofession,Kimble,ifyou’veagrudgeagainstapatient,”saidtherector. “Neverdohaveagrudgeagainstourpatients,”saidMr.Kimble,“exceptwhentheyleaveus:andthen,yousee,wehaven’tthechanceofprescribingfor’em.Ha,MissNancy,”hecontinued,suddenlyskippingtoNancy’sside,“youwon’tforgetyourpromise?You’retosaveadanceforme,youknow.” “Come,come,Kimble,don’tyoubetoofor’ard,”saidtheSquire.“Givetheyoungunsfair-play.There’smysonGodfrey’llbewantingtohavearoundwithyouifyourunoffwithMissNancy.He’sbespokeherforthefirstdance,I’llbebound.Eh,sir!whatdoyousay?”hecontinued,throwinghimselfbackward,andlookingatGodfrey.“Haven’tyouaskedMissNancytoopenthedancewithyou?” Godfrey,sorelyuncomfortableunderthissignificantinsistenceaboutNancy,andafraidtothinkwhereitwouldendbythetimehisfatherhadsethisusualhospitableexampleofdrinkingbeforeandaftersupper,sawnocourseopenbuttoturntoNancyandsay,withaslittleawkwardnessaspossible— “NoI’venotaskedheryet,butIhopeshe’llconsent—ifsomebodyelsehasn’tbeenbeforeme.” “No,I’venotengagedmyself,”saidNancy,quietly,thoughblushingly.(IfMr.Godfreyfoundedanyhopesonherconsentingtodancewithhim,hewouldsoonbeundeceivedbuttherewasnoneedforhertobeuncivil.) “ThenIhopeyou’venoobjectionstodancingwithme,”saidGodfrey,beginningtolosethesensethattherewasanythinguncomfortableinthisarrangement. “No,noobjections,”saidNancy,inacoldtone. “Ah,well,you’realuckyfellow,Godfrey,”saiduncleKimble“butyou’remygodson,soIwon’tstandinyourway.ElseI’mnotsoveryold,eh,mydear?”hewenton,skippingtohiswife’ssideagain.“Youwouldn’tmindmyhavingasecondafteryouweregone—notifIcriedagooddealfirst?” “Come,come,takeacupo’teaandstopyourtongue,do,”saidgood-humouredMrs.Kimble,feelingsomeprideinahusbandwhomustberegardedassocleverandamusingbythecompanygenerally.Ifhehadonlynotbeenirritableatcards! Whilesafe,well-testedpersonalitieswereenliveningtheteainthisway,thesoundofthefiddleapproachingwithinadistanceatwhichitcouldbehearddistinctly,madetheyoungpeoplelookateachotherwithsympatheticimpatiencefortheendofthemeal. “Why,there’sSolomoninthehall,”saidtheSquire,“andplayingmyfav’ritetune,Ibelieve—“Theflaxen-headedploughboy”—he’sforgivingusahintaswearen’tenoughinahurrytohearhimplay.Bob,”hecalledouttohisthirdlong-leggedson,whowasattheotherendoftheroom,“openthedoor,andtellSolomontocomein.Heshallgiveusatunehere.” Bobobeyed,andSolomonwalkedin,fiddlingashewalked,forhewouldonnoaccountbreakoffinthemiddleofatune. “Here,Solomon,”saidtheSquire,withloudpatronage.“Roundhere,myman.Ah,Iknewitwas“Theflaxen-headedploughboy”:there’snofinertune.” SolomonMacey,asmallhaleoldmanwithanabundantcropoflongwhitehairreachingnearlytohisshoulders,advancedtotheindicatedspot,bowingreverentlywhilehefiddled,asmuchastosaythatherespectedthecompany,thoughherespectedthekey-notemore.Assoonashehadrepeatedthetuneandloweredhisfiddle,hebowedagaintotheSquireandtherector,andsaid,“IhopeIseeyourhonourandyourreverencewell,andwishingyouhealthandlonglifeandahappyNewYear.Andwishingthesametoyou,Mr.Lammeter,sirandtotheothergentlemen,andthemadams,andtheyounglasses.” AsSolomonutteredthelastwords,hebowedinalldirectionssolicitously,lestheshouldbewantinginduerespect.Butthereuponheimmediatelybegantoprelude,andfellintothetunewhichheknewwouldbetakenasaspecialcomplimentbyMr.Lammeter. “Thankye,Solomon,thankye,”saidMr.Lammeterwhenthefiddlepausedagain.“That’s“Overthehillsandfaraway”,thatis.Myfatherusedtosaytome,wheneverweheardthattune,“Ah,lad,Icomefromoverthehillsandfaraway.”There’samanytunesIdon’tmakeheadortailofbutthatspeakstomeliketheblackbird’swhistle.Isupposeit’sthename:there’sadealinthenameofatune.” ButSolomonwasalreadyimpatienttopreludeagain,andpresentlybrokewithmuchspiritinto“SirRogerdeCoverley”,atwhichtherewasasoundofchairspushedback,andlaughingvoices. “Aye,aye,Solomon,weknowwhatthatmeans,”saidtheSquire,rising.“It’stimetobeginthedance,eh?Leadtheway,then,andwe’llallfollowyou.” SoSolomon,holdinghiswhiteheadononeside,andplayingvigorously,marchedforwardattheheadofthegayprocessionintotheWhiteParlour,wherethemistletoe-boughwashung,andmultitudinoustallowcandlesmaderatherabrillianteffect,gleamingfromamongtheberriedholly-boughs,andreflectedintheold-fashionedovalmirrorsfastenedinthepanelsofthewhitewainscot.Aquaintprocession!OldSolomon,inhisseedyclothesandlongwhitelocks,seemedtobeluringthatdecentcompanybythemagicscreamofhisfiddle—luringdiscreetmatronsinturban-shapedcaps,nay,Mrs.Crackenthorpherself,thesummitofwhoseperpendicularfeatherwasonalevelwiththeSquire’sshoulder—luringfairlassescomplacentlyconsciousofveryshortwaistsandskirtsblamelessoffront-folds—luringburlyfathersinlargevariegatedwaistcoats,andruddysons,forthemostpartshyandsheepish,inshortnethergarmentsandverylongcoat-tails. AlreadyMr.Maceyandafewotherprivilegedvillagers,whowereallowedtobespectatorsonthesegreatoccasions,wereseatedonbenchesplacedforthemnearthedoorandgreatwastheadmirationandsatisfactioninthatquarterwhenthecoupleshadformedthemselvesforthedance,andtheSquireledoffwithMrs.Crackenthorp,joininghandswiththerectorandMrs.Osgood.Thatwasasitshouldbe—thatwaswhateverybodyhadbeenusedto—andthecharterofRaveloeseemedtoberenewedbytheceremony.Itwasnotthoughtofasanunbecominglevityfortheoldandmiddle-agedpeopletodancealittlebeforesittingdowntocards,butratheraspartoftheirsocialduties.Forwhatweretheseifnottobemerryatappropriatetimes,interchangingvisitsandpoultrywithduefrequency,payingeachotherold-establishedcomplimentsinsoundtraditionalphrases,passingwell-triedpersonaljokes,urgingyourgueststoeatanddrinktoomuchoutofhospitality,andeatinganddrinkingtoomuchinyourneighbour’shousetoshowthatyoulikedyourcheer?Andtheparsonnaturallysetanexampleinthesesocialduties.ForitwouldnothavebeenpossiblefortheRaveloemind,withoutapeculiarrevelation,toknowthataclergymanshouldbeapale-facedmementoofsolemnities,insteadofareasonablyfaultymanwhoseexclusiveauthoritytoreadprayersandpreach,tochristen,marry,andburyyou,necessarilycoexistedwiththerighttosellyouthegroundtobeburiedinandtotaketitheinkindonwhichlastpoint,ofcourse,therewasalittlegrumbling,butnottotheextentofirreligion—notofdeepersignificancethanthegrumblingattherain,whichwasbynomeansaccompaniedwithaspiritofimpiousdefiance,butwithadesirethattheprayerforfineweathermightbereadforthwith. Therewasnoreason,then,whytherector’sdancingshouldnotbereceivedaspartofthefitnessofthingsquiteasmuchastheSquire’s,orwhy,ontheotherhand,Mr.Macey’sofficialrespectshouldrestrainhimfromsubjectingtheparson’sperformancetothatcriticismwithwhichmindsofextraordinaryacutenessmustnecessarilycontemplatethedoingsoftheirfalliblefellow-men. “TheSquire’sprettyspringe,consideringhisweight,”saidMr.Macey,“andhestampsuncommonwell.ButMr.Lammeterbeats’emallforshapes:youseeheholdshisheadlikeasodger,andheisn’tsocushionyasmosto’theoldishgentlefolks—theyr