under the greenwood tree-第12章

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gaze　of　self…sympathy；　some　faint　idea　of　the　truth。



Mrs。　Dewy　formed　one　of　the　next　couple。



〃Yes；〃　she　said；　in　an　auxiliary　tone；　〃Reuben　always　was　such　a　hot

man。〃



Mrs。　Penny　implied　the　species　of　sympathy　that　such　a　class　of

affliction　required；　by　trying　to　smile　and　to　look　grieved　at　the

same　time。



〃If　he　only　walk　round　the　garden　of　a　Sunday　morning；　his　shirt…

collar　is　as　limp　as　no　starch　at　all；〃　continued　Mrs。　Dewy；　her

countenance　lapsing　parenthetically　into　a　housewifely　expression　of

concern　at　the　reminiscence。



〃Come；　come；　you　women…folk；　'tis　hands　acrosscome；　come！〃　said

the　tranter；　and　the　conversation　ceased　for　the　present。







CHAPTER　VIII：　　THEY　DANCE　MORE　WILDLY







Dick　had　at　length　secured　Fancy　for　that　most　delightful　of

country…dances；　opening　with　six…hands…round。



〃Before　we　begin；〃　said　the　tranter；　〃my　proposal　is；　that　'twould

be　a　right　and　proper　plan　for　every　mortal　man　in　the　dance　to　pull

off　his　jacket；　considering　the　heat。〃



〃Such　low　notions　as　you　have；　Reuben！　　Nothing　but　strip　will　go

down　with　you　when　you　are　a…dancing。　　Such　a　hot　man　as　he　is！〃



〃Well；　now；　look　here；　my　sonnies；〃　he　argued　to　his　wife；　whom　he

often　addressed　in　the　plural　masculine　for　economy　of　epithet

merely；　〃I　don't　see　that。　　You　dance　and　get　hot　as　fire；　therefore

you　lighten　your　clothes。　　Isn't　that　nature　and　reason　for　gentle

and　simple？　　If　I　strip　by　myself　and　not　necessary；　'tis　rather

pot…housey　I　own；　but　if　we　stout　chaps　strip　one　and　all；　why；　'tis

the　native　manners　of　the　country；　which　no　man　can　gainsay？　　Hey

what　did　you　say；　my　sonnies？〃



〃Strip　we　will！〃　said　the　three　other　heavy　men　who　were　in　the

dance；　and　their　coats　were　accordingly　taken　off　and　hung　in　the

passage；　whence　the　four　sufferers　from　heat　soon　reappeared；

marching　in　close　column；　with　flapping　shirt…sleeves；　and　having；

as　common　to　them　all；　a　general　glance　of　being　now　a　match　for　any

man　or　dancer　in　England　or　Ireland。　　Dick；　fearing　to　lose　ground

in　Fancy's　good　opinion；　retained　his　coat　like　the　rest　of　the

thinner　men；　and　Mr。　Shiner　did　the　same　from　superior　knowledge。



And　now　a　further　phase　of　revelry　had　disclosed　itself。　　It　was　the

time　of　night　when　a　guest　may　write　his　name　in　the　dust　upon　the

tables　and　chairs；　and　a　bluish　mist　pervades　the　atmosphere；

becoming　a　distinct　halo　round　the　candles；　when　people's　nostrils；

wrinkles；　and　crevices　in　general；　seem　to　be　getting　gradually

plastered　up；　when　the　very　fiddlers　as　well　as　the　dancers　get　red

in　the　face；　the　dancers　having　advanced　further　still　towards

incandescence；　and　entered　the　cadaverous　phase；　the　fiddlers　no

longer　sit　down；　but　kick　back　their　chairs　and　saw　madly　at　the

strings；　with　legs　firmly　spread　and　eyes　closed；　regardless　of　the

visible　world。　　Again　and　again　did　Dick　share　his　Love's　hand　with

another　man；　and　wheel　round；　then；　more　delightfully；　promenade　in

a　circle　with　her　all　to　himself；　his　arm　holding　her　waist　more

firmly　each　time；　and　his　elbow　getting　further　and　further　behind

her　back；　till　the　distance　reached　was　rather　noticeable；　and；　most

blissful；　swinging　to　places　shoulder　to　shoulder；　her　breath

curling　round　his　neck　like　a　summer　zephyr　that　had　strayed　from

its　proper　date。　　Threading　the　couples　one　by　one　they　reached　the

bottom；　when　there　arose　in　Dick's　mind　a　minor　misery　lest　the　tune

should　end　before　they　could　work　their　way　to　the　top　again；　and

have　anew　the　same　exciting　run　down　through。　　Dick's　feelings　on

actually　reaching　the　top　in　spite　of　his　doubts　were　supplemented

by　a　mortal　fear　that　the　fiddling　might　even　stop　at　this　supreme

moment；　which　prompted　him　to　convey　a　stealthy　whisper　to　the　far…

gone　musicians；　to　the　effect　that　they　were　not　to　leave　off　till

he　and　his　partner　had　reached　the　bottom　of　the　dance　once　more；

which　remark　was　replied　to　by　the　nearest　of　those　convulsed　and

quivering　men　by　a　private　nod　to　the　anxious　young　man　between　two

semiquavers　of　the　tune；　and　a　simultaneous　〃All　right；　ay；　ay；〃

without　opening　the　eyes。　　Fancy　was　now　held　so　closely　that　Dick

and　she　were　practically　one　person。　　The　room　became　to　Dick　like　a

picture　in　a　dream；　all　that　he　could　remember　of　it　afterwards

being　the　look　of　the　fiddlers　going　to　sleep；　as　humming…tops

sleep；　by　increasing　their　motion　and　hum；　together　with　the　figures

of　grandfather　James　and　old　Simon　Crumpler　sitting　by　the　chimney…

corner；　talking　and　nodding　in　dumb…show；　and　beating　the　air　to

their　emphatic　sentences　like　people　near　a　threshing　machine。



The　dance　ended。　　〃Piph…h…h…h！〃　said　tranter　Dewy；　blowing　out　his

breath　in　the　very　finest　stream　of　vapour　that　a　man's　lips　could

form。　　〃A　regular　tightener；　that　one；　sonnies！〃　　He　wiped　his

forehead；　and　went　to　the　cider　and　ale　mugs　on　the　table。



〃Well！〃　said　Mrs。　Penny；　flopping　into　a　chair；　〃my　heart　haven't

been　in　such　a　thumping　state　of　uproar　since　I　used　to　sit　up　on

old　Midsummer…eves　to　see　who　my　husband　was　going　to　be。〃



〃And　that's　getting　on　for　a　good　few　years　ago　now；　from　what　I've

heard　you　tell；〃　said　the　tranter；　without　lifting　his　eyes　from　the

cup　he　was　filling。　　Being　now　engaged　in　the　business　of　handing

round　refreshments；　he　was　warranted　in　keeping　his　coat　off　still；

though　the　other　heavy　men　had　resumed　theirs。



〃And　a　thing　I　never　expected　would　come　to　pass；　if　you'll　believe

me；　came　to　pass　then；〃　continued　Mrs。　Penny。　　〃Ah；　the　first　spirit

ever　I　see　on　a　Midsummer…eve　was　a　puzzle　to　me　when　he　appeared；　a

hard　puzzle；　so　say　I！〃



〃So　I　should　have　fancied；〃　said　Elias　Spinks。



〃Yes；〃　said　Mrs。　Penny；　throwing　her　glance　into　past　times；　and

talking　on　in　a　running　tone　of　complacent　abstraction；　as　if　a

listener　were　not　a　necessity。　　〃Yes；　never　was　I　in　such　a　taking

as　on　that　Midsummer…eve！　　I　sat　up；　quite　determined　to　see　if　John

Wildway　was　going　to　marry　me　or　no。　　I　put　the　bread…and…cheese　and

beer　quite　ready；　as　the　witch's　book　ordered；　and　I　opened　the

door；　and　I　waited　till　the　clock　struck　twelve；　my　nerves　all　alive

and　so　strained　that　I　could　feel　every　one　of　'em　twitching　like

bell…wires。　　Yes；　sure！　and　when　the　clock　had　struck；　ho　and

behold；　I　could　see　through　the　door　a　LITTLE　SMALL　man　in　the　lane

wi'　a　shoemaker's　apron　on。〃



Here　Mr。　Penny　stealthily　enlarged　himself　half　an　inch。



〃Now；　John　Wildway；〃　Mrs。　Penny　continued；　〃who　courted　me　at　that

time；　was　a　shoemaker；　you　see；　but　he　was　a　very　fair…sized　man；

and　I　couldn't　believe　that　any　such　a　little　small　man　had　anything

to　do　wi'　me；　as　anybody　might。　　But　on　he　came；　and　crossed　the

thresholdnot　John；　but　actually　the　same　little　small　man　in　the

shoemaker's　apron〃



〃You　needn't　be　so　mighty　particular　about　little　and　small！〃　said

her　husband。



〃In　he　walks；　and　down　he　sits；　and　O　my　goodness　me；　didn't　I　flee

upstairs；　body　and　soul　hardly　hanging　together！　　Well；　to　cut　a

long　story　short；　by…long　and　by…late。　　John　Wildway　and　I　had　a

miff　and　parted；　and　lo　and　behold；　the　coming　man　came！　　Penny

asked　me　if　I'd　go　snacks　with　him；　and　afore　I　knew　what　I　was

about　a'most；　the　thing　was　done。〃



〃I've　fancied　you　never　knew　better　in　your　life；　but　I　mid　be

mistaken；〃　said　Mr。　Penny　in　a　murmur。



After　Mrs。　Penny　had　spoken；　there　being　no　new　occupation　for　her

eyes；　she　still　let　them　stay　idling　on　the　past　scenes　just

related；　which　were　apparently　visible　to　her　in　the　centre　of　the

room　Mr。　Penny's　remark　received　no　reply。



During　this　discourse　the　tranter　and　his　wife　might　have　been

observed　standing　in　an　unobtrusive　corner；　in　mysterious　closeness

to　each　other；　a　just　perceptible　current　of　intelligence　passing

from　each　to　each；　which　had　apparently　no　relation　whatever　to　the

conversation　of