CHAPTER VII: THE TRANTER'S PARTY
During the afternoon unusual activity was seen to prevail about theprecincts of tranter Dewy's house. The flagstone floor was swept ofdust, and a sprinkling of the finest yellow sand from the innermoststratum of the adjoining sand-pit lightly scattered thereupon. Then wereproduced large knives and forks, which had been shrouded in darkness andgrease since the last occasion of the kind, and bearing upon their sides,"Shear-steel, warranted," in such emphatic letters of assurance, that thewarranter's name was not required as further proof, and not given. Thekey was left in the tap of the cider-barrel, instead of being carried ina pocket. And finally the tranter had to stand up in the room and lethis wife wheel him round like a turnstile, to see if anythingdiscreditable was visible in his appearance.
"Stand still till I've been for the scissors," said Mrs. Dewy.
The tranter stood as still as a sentinel at the challenge.
The only repairs necessary were a trimming of one or two whiskers thathad extended beyond the general contour of the mass; a like trimming of aslightly-frayed edge visible on his shirt-collar; and a final tug at agrey hair--to all of which operations he submitted in resigned silence,except the last, which produced a mild "Come, come, Ann," by way ofexpostulation.
"Really, Reuben, 'tis quite a disgrace to see such a man," said Mrs.Dewy, with the severity justifiable in a long-tried companion, giving himanother turn round, and picking several of Smiler's hairs from theshoulder of his coat. Reuben's thoughts seemed engaged elsewhere, and heyawned. "And the collar of your coat is a shame to behold--so plasteredwith dirt, or dust, or grease, or something. Why, wherever could youhave got it?"
"'Tis my warm nater in summer-time, I suppose. I always did get in sucha heat when I bustle about."
"Ay, the Dewys always were such a coarse-skinned family. There's yourbrother Bob just as bad--as fat as a porpoise--wi' his low, mean, 'How'stdo, Ann?' whenever he meets me. I'd 'How'st do' him indeed! If the sunonly shines out a minute, there be you all streaming in the face--I neversee!"
"If I be hot week-days, I must be hot Sundays."
"If any of the girls should turn after their father 'twill be a bad look-out for 'em, poor things! None of my family were sich vulgar sweaters,not one of 'em. But, Lord-a-mercy, the Dewys! I don't know how ever Icam' into such a family!"
"Your woman's weakness when I asked ye to jine us. That's how it was Isuppose." But the tranter appeared to have heard some such words fromhis wife before, and hence his answer had not the energy it might haveshown if the inquiry had possessed the charm of novelty.
"You never did look so well in a pair o' trousers as in them," shecontinued in the same unimpassioned voice, so that the unfriendlycriticism of the Dewy family seemed to have been more normal thanspontaneous. "Such a cheap pair as 'twas too. As big as any man couldwish to have, and lined inside, and double-lined in the lower parts, andan extra piece of stiffening at the bottom. And 'tis a nice high cutthat comes up right under your armpits, and there's enough turned downinside the seams to make half a pair more, besides a piece of cloth leftthat will make an honest waistcoat--all by my contriving in buying thestuff at a bargain, and having it made up under my eye. It only showswhat may be done by taking a little trouble, and not going straight tothe rascally tailors."
The discourse was cut short by the sudden appearance of Charley on thescene, with a face and hands of hideous blackness, and a nose like aguttering candle. Why, on that particularly cleanly afternoon, he shouldhave discovered that the chimney-crook and chain from which the hams weresuspended should have possessed more merits and general interest asplaythings than any other articles in the house, is a question fornursing mothers to decide. However, the humour seemed to lie in theresult being, as has been seen, that any given player with these articleswas in the long-run daubed with soot. The last that was seen of Charleyby daylight after this piece of ingenuity was when in the act ofvanishing from his father's presence round the corner of thehouse--looking back over his shoulder with an expression of great sin onhis face, like Cain as the Outcast in Bible pictures.
* * * * *
The guests had all assembled, and the tranter's party had reached thatdegree of development which accords with ten o'clock P.M. in ruralassemblies. At that hour the sound of a fiddle in process of tuning washeard from the inner pantry.
"That's Dick," said the tranter. "That lad's crazy for a jig."
"Dick! Now I cannot--really, I cannot have any dancing at all tillChristmas-day is out," said old William emphatically. "When the clockha' done striking twelve, dance as much as ye like."
"Well, I must say there's reason in that, William," said Mrs. Penny. "Ifyou do have a party on Christmas-night, 'tis only fair and honourable tothe sky-folk to have it a sit-still party. Jigging parties be all verywell on the Devil's holidays; but a jigging party looks suspicious now. Oyes; stop till the clock strikes, young folk--so say I."
It happened that some warm mead accidentally got into Mr. Spinks's headabout this time.
"Dancing," he said, "is a most strengthening, livening, and courtingmovement, 'specially with a little beverage added! And dancing is good.But why disturb what is ordained, Richard and Reuben, and the companyzhinerally? Why, I ask, as far as that do go?"
"Then nothing till after twelve," said William.
Though Reuben and his wife ruled on social points, religious questionswere mostly disposed of by the old man, whose firmness on this head quitecounterbalanced a certain weakness in his handling of domestic matters.The hopes of the younger members of the household were thereforerelegated to a distance of one hour and three-quarters--a result thattook visible shape in them by a remote and listless look about theeyes--the singing of songs being permitted in the interim.
At five minutes to twelve the soft tuning was again heard in the backquarters; and when at length the clock had whizzed forth the last stroke,Dick appeared ready primed, and the instruments were boldly handled; oldWilliam very readily taking the bass-viol from its accustomed nail, andtouching the strings as irreligiously as could be desired.
The country-dance called the 'Triumph, or Follow my Lover,' was thefigure with which they opened. The tranter took for his partner Mrs.Penny, and Mrs. Dewy was chosen by Mr. Penny, who made so much of hislimited height by a judicious carriage of the head, straightening of theback, and important flashes of his spectacle-glasses, that he seemedalmost as tall as the tranter. Mr. Shiner, age about thirty-five, farmerand church-warden, a character principally composed of a crimson stare,vigorous breath, and a watch-chain, with a mouth hanging on a dark smilebut never smiling, had come quite willingly to the party, and showed awondrous obliviousness of all his antics on the previous night. But thecomely, slender, prettily-dressed prize Fancy Day fell to Dick's lot, inspite of some private machinations of the farmer, for the reason that Mr.Shiner, as a richer man, had shown too much assurance in asking thefavour, whilst Dick had been duly courteous.
We gain a good view of our heroine as she advances to her place in theladies' line. She belonged to the taller division of middle height.Flexibility was her first characteristic, by which she appeared to enjoythe most easeful rest when she was in gliding motion. Her darkeyes--arched by brows of so keen, slender, and soft a curve, that theyresembled nothing so much as two slurs in music--showed primarily abright sparkle each. This was softened by a frequent thoughtfulness, yetnot so frequent as to do away, for more than a few minutes at a time,with a certain coquettishness; which in its turn was never so decided asto banish honesty. Her lips imitated her brows in their clearly-cutoutline and softness of bend; and her nose was well shaped--which issaying a great deal, when it is remembered that there are a hundredpretty mouths and eyes for one pretty nose. Add to this, plentiful knotsof dark-brown hair, a gauzy dress of white, with blue facings; and theslightest idea may be gained of the young maiden who showed, amidst therest of the dancing-ladies, like a flower among vegetables. And so thedance procee
ded. Mr. Shiner, according to the interesting rule laiddown, deserted his own partner, and made off down the middle with thisfair one of Dick's--the pair appearing from the top of the room like twopersons tripping down a lane to be married. Dick trotted behind withwhat was intended to be a look of composure, but which was, in fact, arather silly expression of feature--implying, with too much earnestness,that such an elopement could not be tolerated. Then they turned and cameback, when Dick grew more rigid around his mouth, and blushed withingenuous ardour as he joined hands with the rival and formed the archover his lady's head; which presumably gave the figure its name;relinquishing her again at setting to partners, when Mr. Shiner's newchain quivered in every link, and all the loose flesh upon thetranter--who here came into action again--shook like jelly. Mrs. Penny,being always rather concerned for her personal safety when she dancedwith the tranter, fixed her face to a chronic smile of timidity the wholetime it lasted--a peculiarity which filled her features with wrinkles,and reduced her eyes to little straight lines like hyphens, as she jiggedup and down opposite him; repeating in her own person not only his propermovements, but also the minor flourishes which the richness of thetranter's imagination led him to introduce from time to time--animitation which had about it something of slavish obedience, not unmixedwith fear.
The ear-rings of the ladies now flung themselves wildly about, turningviolent summersaults, banging this way and that, and then swingingquietly against the ears sustaining them. Mrs. Crumpler--a heavy woman,who, for some reason which nobody ever thought worth inquiry, danced in aclean apron--moved so smoothly through the figure that her feet werenever seen; conveying to imaginative minds the idea that she rolled oncastors.
Minute after minute glided by, and the party reached the period whenladies' back-hair begins to look forgotten and dissipated; when aperceptible dampness makes itself apparent upon the faces even ofdelicate girls--a ghastly dew having for some time rained from thefeatures of their masculine partners; when skirts begin to be torn out oftheir gathers; when elderly people, who have stood up to please theirjuniors, begin to feel sundry small tremblings in the region of theknees, and to wish the interminable dance was at Jericho; when (atcountry parties of the thorough sort) waistcoats begin to be unbuttoned,and when the fiddlers' chairs have been wriggled, by the frantic bowingof their occupiers, to a distance of about two feet from where theyoriginally stood.
Fancy was dancing with Mr. Shiner. Dick knew that Fancy, by the law ofgood manners, was bound to dance as pleasantly with one partner as withanother; yet he could not help suggesting to himself that she need nothave put quite so much spirit into her steps, nor smiled quite sofrequently whilst in the farmer's hands.
"I'm afraid you didn't cast off," said Dick mildly to Mr. Shiner, beforethe latter man's watch-chain had done vibrating from a recent whirl.
Fancy made a motion of accepting the correction but her partner took nonotice, and proceeded with the next movement, with an affectionate bendtowards her.
"That Shiner's too fond of her," the young man said to himself as hewatched them. They came to the top again, Fancy smiling warmly towardsher partner, and went to their places.
"Mr. Shiner, you didn't cast off," said Dick, for want of something elseto demolish him with; casting off himself, and being put out at thefarmer's irregularity.
"Perhaps I sha'n't cast off for any man," said Mr. Shiner.
"I think you ought to, sir."
Dick's partner, a young lady of the name of Lizzy--called Lizz forshort--tried to mollify.
"I can't say that I myself have much feeling for casting off," she said.
"Nor I," said Mrs. Penny, following up the argument, "especially if afriend and neighbour is set against it. Not but that 'tis a terribletasty thing in good hands and well done; yes, indeed, so say I."
"All I meant was," said Dick, rather sorry that he had spokencorrectingly to a guest, "that 'tis in the dance; and a man has hardlyany right to hack and mangle what was ordained by the regulardance-maker, who, I daresay, got his living by making 'em, and thought ofnothing else all his life."
"I don't like casting off: then very well; I cast off for no dance-makerthat ever lived."
Dick now appeared to be doing mental arithmetic, the act being really aneffort to present to himself, in an abstract form, how far an argumentwith a formidable rival ought to be carried, when that rival was hismother's guest. The dead-lock was put an end to by the stamping arrivalup the middle of the tranter, who, despising minutiae on principle,started a theme of his own.
"I assure you, neighbours," he said, "the heat of my frame no tongue cantell!" He looked around and endeavoured to give, by a forcible gaze ofself-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 hotman."
Mrs. Penny implied the species of sympathy that such a class ofaffliction required, by trying to smile and to look grieved at the sametime.
"If he only walk round the garden of a Sunday morning, his shirt-collaris as limp as no starch at all," continued Mrs. Dewy, her countenancelapsing parenthetically into a housewifely expression of concern at thereminiscence.
"Come, come, you women-folk; 'tis hands across--come, come!" said thetranter; and the conversation ceased for the present.