第7章

Onthehearth，infrontofaback-brandtogivesubstance，blazedafireofthorns，thatcrackled’likethelaughterofthefool。’

Nineteenpersonsweregatheredhere。Ofthese，fivewomen，wearinggownsofvariousbrighthues，satinchairsalongthewall；girlsshyandnotshyfilledthewindow-bench；fourmen，includingCharleyJakethehedge-carpenter，ElijahNewtheparish-clerk，andJohnPitcher，aneighbouringdairyman，theshepherd’sfather-in-law，lolledinthesettle；ayoungmanandmaid，whowereblushingovertentativepourparlersonalife-companionship，satbeneaththecorner-cupboard；andanelderlyengagedmanoffiftyorupwardmovedrestlesslyaboutfromspotswherehisbetrothedwasnottothespotwhereshewas。Enjoymentwasprettygeneral，andsomuchthemoreprevailedinbeingunhamperedbyconventionalrestrictions。

Absoluteconfidenceineachother’sgoodopinionbegatperfectease，whilethefinishingstrokeofmanner，amountingtoatrulyprincelyserenity，waslenttothemajoritybytheabsenceofanyexpressionortraitdenotingthattheywishedtogetonintheworld，enlargetheirminds，ordoanyeclipsingthingwhatever——whichnowadayssogenerallynipsthebloomandbonhomieofallexceptthetwoextremesofthesocialscale。

ShepherdFennelhadmarriedwell，hiswifebeingadairyman’sdaughterfromavaleatadistance，whobroughtfiftyguineasinherpocket——andkeptthemthere，tilltheyshouldberequiredforministeringtotheneedsofacomingfamily。Thisfrugalwomanhadbeensomewhatexercisedastothecharacterthatshouldbegiventothegathering。Asit-stillpartyhaditsadvantages；butanundisturbedpositionofeaseinchairsandsettleswasapttoleadonthementosuchanunconscionabledealoftopingthattheywouldsometimesfairlydrinkthehousedry。Adancing-partywasthealternative；butthis，whileavoidingtheforegoingobjectiononthescoreofgooddrink，hadacounterbalancingdisadvantageinthematterofgoodvictuals，theravenousappetitesengenderedbytheexercisecausingimmensehavocinthebuttery。ShepherdessFennelfellbackupontheintermediateplanofminglingshortdanceswithshortperiodsoftalkandsinging，soastohinderanyungovernablerageineither。Butthisschemewasentirelyconfinedtoherowngentlemind:theshepherdhimselfwasinthemoodtoexhibitthemostrecklessphasesofhospitality。

Thefiddlerwasaboyofthoseparts，abouttwelveyearsofage，whohadawonderfuldexterityinjigsandreels，thoughhisfingersweresosmallandshortastonecessitateaconstantshiftingforthehighnotes，fromwhichhescrambledbacktothefirstpositionwithsoundsnotofunmixedpurityoftone。Atseventheshrilltweedle-

deeofthisyoungsterhadbegun，accompaniedbyaboomingground-

bassfromElijahNew，theparish-clerk，whohadthoughtfullybroughtwithhimhisfavouritemusicalinstrument，theserpent。Dancingwasinstantaneous，Mrs。Fennelprivatelyenjoiningtheplayersonnoaccounttoletthedanceexceedthelengthofaquarterofanhour。

ButElijahandtheboy，intheexcitementoftheirposition，quiteforgottheinjunction。Moreover，OliverGiles，amanofseventeen，oneofthedancers，whowasenamouredofhispartner，afairgirlofthirty-threerollingyears，hadrecklesslyhandedanewcrown-piecetothemusicians，asabribetokeepgoingaslongastheyhadmuscleandwind。Mrs。Fennel，seeingthesteambegintogenerateonthecountenancesofherguests，crossedoverandtouchedthefiddler’selbowandputherhandontheserpent’smouth。Buttheytooknonotice，andfearingshemightlosehercharacterofgenialhostessifsheweretointerferetoomarkedly，sheretiredandsatdownhelpless。Andsothedancewhizzedonwithcumulativefury，theperformersmovingintheirplanet-likecourses，directandretrograde，fromapogeetoperigee，tillthehandofthewell-kickedclockatthebottomoftheroomhadtravelledoverthecircumferenceofanhour。

WhilethesecheerfuleventswereincourseofenactmentwithinFennel’spastoraldwelling，anincidenthavingconsiderablebearingonthepartyhadoccurredinthegloomynightwithout。Mrs。

Fennel’sconcernaboutthegrowingfiercenessofthedancecorrespondedinpointoftimewiththeascentofahumanfiguretothesolitaryhillofHigherCrowstairsfromthedirectionofthedistanttown。Thispersonagestrodeonthroughtherainwithoutapause，followingthelittle-wornpathwhich，furtheroninitscourse，skirtedtheshepherd’scottage。

Itwasnearlythetimeoffullmoon，andonthisaccount，thoughtheskywaslinedwithauniformsheetofdrippingcloud，ordinaryobjectsoutofdoorswerereadilyvisible。Thesadwanlightrevealedthelonelypedestriantobeamanofsuppleframe；hisgaitsuggestedthathehadsomewhatpassedtheperiodofperfectandinstinctiveagility，thoughnotsofarastobeotherwisethanrapidofmotionwhenoccasionrequired。Ataroughguess，hemighthavebeenaboutfortyyearsofage。Heappearedtall，butarecruitingsergeant，orotherpersonaccustomedtothejudgingofmen’sheightsbytheeye，wouldhavediscernedthatthiswaschieflyowingtohisgauntness，andthathewasnotmorethanfive-feet-eightornine。

Notwithstandingtheregularityofhistread，therewascautioninit，asinthatofonewhomentallyfeelshisway；anddespitethefactthatitwasnotablackcoatnoradarkgarmentofanysortthathewore，therewassomethingabouthimwhichsuggestedthathenaturallybelongedtotheblack-coatedtribesofmen。Hisclotheswereoffustian，andhisbootshobnailed，yetinhisprogressheshowednotthemud-accustomedbearingofhobnailedandfustianedpeasantry。

Bythetimethathehadarrivedabreastoftheshepherd’spremisestheraincamedown，orrathercamealong，withyetmoredeterminedviolence。Theoutskirtsofthelittlesettlementpartiallybroketheforceofwindandrain，andthisinducedhimtostandstill。

Themostsalientoftheshepherd’sdomesticerectionswasanemptystyattheforwardcornerofhishedgelessgarden，forintheselatitudestheprincipleofmaskingthehomelierfeaturesofyourestablishmentbyaconventionalfrontagewasunknown。Thetraveller’seyewasattractedtothissmallbuildingbythepallidshineofthewetslatesthatcoveredit。Heturnedaside，and，findingitempty，stoodunderthepent-roofforshelter。

Whilehestood，theboomoftheserpentwithintheadjacenthouse，andthelesserstrainsofthefiddler，reachedthespotasanaccompanimenttothesurginghissoftheflyingrainonthesod，itslouderbeatingonthecabbage-leavesofthegarden，ontheeightortenbeehivesjustdiscerniblebythepath，anditsdrippingfromtheeavesintoarowofbucketsandpansthathadbeenplacedunderthewallsofthecottage。ForatHigherCrowstairs，asatallsuchelevateddomiciles，thegranddifficultyofhousekeepingwasaninsufficiencyofwater；andacasualrainfallwasutilizedbyturningout，ascatchers，everyutensilthatthehousecontained。

Somequeerstoriesmightbetoldofthecontrivancesforeconomyinsudsanddish-watersthatareabsolutelynecessitatedinuplandhabitationsduringthedroughtsofsummer。Butatthisseasontherewerenosuchexigencies；amereacceptanceofwhattheskiesbestowedwassufficientforanabundantstore。

Atlastthenotesoftheserpentceasedandthehousewassilent。

Thiscessationofactivityarousedthesolitarypedestrianfromthereverieintowhichhehadlapsed，and，emergingfromtheshed，withanapparentlynewintention，hewalkedupthepathtothehouse-

door。Arrivedhere，hisfirstactwastokneeldownonalargestonebesidetherowofvessels，andtodrinkacopiousdraughtfromoneofthem。Havingquenchedhisthirstheroseandliftedhishandtoknock，butpausedwithhiseyeuponthepanel。Sincethedarksurfaceofthewoodrevealedabsolutelynothing，itwasevidentthathemustbementallylookingthroughthedoor，asifhewishedtomeasuretherebyallthepossibilitiesthatahouseofthissortmightinclude，andhowtheymightbearuponthequestionofhisentry。

Inhisindecisionheturnedandsurveyedthescenearound。Notasoulwasanywherevisible。Thegarden-pathstretcheddownwardfromhisfeet，gleaminglikethetrackofasnail；theroofofthelittlewell(mostlydry)，thewell-cover，thetoprailofthegarden-gate，werevarnishedwiththesamedullliquidglaze；while，farawayinthevale，afaintwhitenessofmorethanusualextentshowedthattheriverswerehighinthemeads。Beyondallthiswinkedafewblearedlamplightsthroughthebeatingdrops——lightsthatdenotedthesituationofthecounty-townfromwhichhehadappearedtocome。

Theabsenceofallnotesoflifeinthatdirectionseemedtoclinchhisintentions，andheknockedatthedoor。

Within，adesultorychathadtakentheplaceofmovementandmusicalsound。Thehedge-carpenterwassuggestingasongtothecompany，whichnobodyjustthenwasinclinedtoundertake，sothattheknockaffordedanotunwelcomediversion。

’Walkin！’saidtheshepherdpromptly。

Thelatchclickedupward，andoutofthenightourpedestrianappeareduponthedoor-mat。Theshepherdarose，snuffedtwoofthenearestcandles，andturnedtolookathim。

Theirlightdisclosedthatthestrangerwasdarkincomplexionandnotunprepossessingastofeature。Hishat，whichforamomenthedidnotremove，hunglowoverhiseyes，withoutconcealingthattheywerelarge，open，anddetermined，movingwithaflashratherthanaglanceroundtheroom。Heseemedpleasedwithhissurvey，and，baringhisshaggyhead，said，inarichdeepvoice，’Therainissoheavy，friends，thatIaskleavetocomeinandrestawhile。’

’Tobesure，stranger，’saidtheshepherd。’Andfaith，you’vebeenluckyinchoosingyourtime，forwearehavingabitofaflingforagladcause——though，tobesure，amancouldhardlywishthatgladcausetohappenmorethanonceayear。’

’Norless，’spokeupawoman。’For’tisbesttogetyourfamilyoveranddonewith，assoonasyoucan，soastobealltheearlieroutofthefago’t。’

’Andwhatmaybethisgladcause？’askedthestranger。

’Abirthandchristening，’saidtheshepherd。

Thestrangerhopedhishostmightnotbemadeunhappyeitherbytoomanyortoofewofsuchepisodes，andbeinginvitedbyagesturetoapullatthemug，hereadilyacquiesced。Hismanner，which，beforeentering，hadbeensodubious，wasnowaltogetherthatofacarelessandcandidman。

’Latetobetraipsingathwartthiscoomb——hey？’saidtheengagedmanoffifty。

’Lateitis，master，asyousay——I’lltakeaseatinthechimney-

corner，ifyouhavenothingtourgeagainstit，ma’am；forIamalittlemoistonthesidethatwasnexttherain。’

Mrs。ShepherdFennelassented，andmaderoomfortheself-invitedcomer，who，havinggotcompletelyinsidethechimney-corner，stretchedouthislegsandhisarmswiththeexpansivenessofapersonquiteathome。

’Yes，Iamrathercrackedinthevamp，’hesaidfreely，seeingthattheeyesoftheshepherd’swifefelluponhisboots，’andIamnotwellfittedeither。Ihavehadsomeroughtimeslately，andhavebeenforcedtopickupwhatIcangetinthewayofwearing，butI