under the greenwood tree-第40章

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goes！〃



〃That's　a　girl　for　a　husband！〃　said　Mrs。　Dewy。



〃I　do　hope　he'll　come　in　time！〃　continued　the　bride…elect；　inventing

a　new　cause　of　affright；　now　that　the　other　was　demolished。



〃'Twould　be　a　thousand　pities　if　he　didn't　come；　now　you　he　so

brave；〃　said　Mrs。　Penny。



Grandfather　James；　having　overheard　some　of　these　remarks；　said

downstairs　with　mischievous　loudness〃I've　known　some　would…be

weddings　when　the　men　didn't　come。〃



〃They've　happened　not　to　come；　before　now；　certainly；〃　said　Mr。

Penny；　cleaning　one　of　the　glasses　of　his　spectacles。



〃O；　do　hear　what　they　are　saying　downstairs；〃　whispered　Fancy。

〃Hush；　hush！〃



She　listened。



〃They　have；　haven't　they；　Geoffrey？〃　continued　grandfather　James；　as

Geoffrey　entered。



〃Have　what？〃　said　Geoffrey。



〃The　men　have　been　known　not　to　come。〃



〃That　they　have；〃　said　the　keeper。



〃Ay；　I've　knowed　times　when　the　wedding　had　to　be　put　off　through

his　not　appearing；　being　tired　of　the　woman。　　And　another　case　I

knowed　was　when　the　man　was　catched　in　a　man…trap　crossing　Oaker's

Wood；　and　the　three　months　had　run　out　before　he　got　well；　and　the

banns　had　to　be　published　over　again。〃



〃How　horrible！〃　said　Fancy。



〃They　only　say　it　on　purpose　to　tease　'ee；　my　dear；〃　said　Mrs。　Dewy。



〃'Tis　quite　sad　to　think　what　wretched　shifts　poor　maids　have　been

put　to；〃　came　again　from　downstairs。　　〃Ye　should　hear　Clerk　Wilkins；

my　brother…law；　tell　his　experiences　in　marrying　couples　these　last

thirty　year：　　sometimes　one　thing；　sometimes　another'tis　quite

heart…rendingenough　to　make　your　hair　stand　on　end。〃



〃Those　things　don't　happen　very　often；　I　know；〃　said　Fancy；　with

smouldering　uneasiness。



〃Well；　really　'tis　time　Dick　was　here；〃　said　the　tranter。



〃Don't　keep　on　at　me　so；　grandfather　James　and　Mr。　Dewy；　and　all　you

down　there！〃　Fancy　broke　out；　unable　to　endure　any　longer。　　〃I　am

sure　I　shall　die；　or　do　something；　if　you　do！〃



〃Never　you　hearken　to　these　old　chaps；　Miss　Day！〃　cried　Nat

Callcome；　the　best　man；　who　had　just　entered；　and　threw　his　voice

upward　through　the　chinks　of　the　floor　as　the　others　had　done。

〃'Tis　all　right；　Dick's　coming　on　like　a　wild　feller；　he'll　be　here

in　a　minute。　　The　hive　o'　bees　his　mother　gie'd　en　for　his　new

garden　swarmed　jist　as　he　was　starting；　and　he　said；　〃I　can't　afford

to　lose　a　stock　o'　bees；　no；　that　I　can't；　though　I　fain　would；　and

Fancy　wouldn't　wish　it　on　any　account。〃　　So　he　jist　stopped　to　ting

to　'em　and　shake　'em。〃



〃A　genuine　wise　man；〃　said　Geoffrey。



〃To　be　sure；　what　a　day's　work　we　had　yesterday！〃　Mr。　Callcome

continued；　lowering　his　voice　as　if　it　were　not　necessary　any　longer

to　include　those　in　the　room　above　among　his　audience；　and　selecting

a　remote　corner　of　his　best　clean　handkerchief　for　wiping　his　face。

〃To　be　sure！〃



〃Things　so　heavy；　I　suppose；〃　said　Geoffrey；　as　if　reading　through

the　chimney…window　from　the　far　end　of　the　vista。



〃Ay；〃　said　Nat；　looking　round　the　room　at　points　from　which

furniture　had　been　removed。　　〃And　so　awkward　to　carry；　too。　　'Twas

ath'art　and　across　Dick's　garden；　in　and　out　Dick's　door；　up　and

down　Dick's　stairs；　round　and　round　Dick's　chammers　till　legs　were

worn　to　stumps：　　and　Dick　is　so　particular；　too。　　And　the　stores　of

victuals　and　drink　that　lad　has　laid　in：　　why；　'tis　enough　for

Noah's　ark！　　I'm　sure　I　never　wish　to　see　a　choicer　half…dozen　of

hams　than　he's　got　there　in　his　chimley；　and　the　cider　I　tasted　was

a　very　pretty　drop；　indeed；none　could　desire　a　prettier　cider。〃



〃They　be　for　the　love　and　the　stalled　ox　both；　Ah；　the　greedy

martels！〃　said　grandfather　James。



〃Well；　may…be　they　be。　　Surely；〃　says　I；　〃that　couple　between　'em

have　heaped　up　so　much　furniture　and　victuals；　that　anybody　would

think　they　were　going　to　take　hold　the　big　end　of　married　life

first；　and　begin　wi'　a　grown…up　family。　　Ah；　what　a　bath　of　heat　we

two　chaps　were　in；　to　be　sure；　a…getting　that　furniture　in　order！〃



〃I　do　so　wish　the　room　below　was　ceiled；〃　said　Fancy；　as　the

dressing　went　on；　〃we　can　hear　all　they　say　and　do　down　there。〃



〃Hark！　　Who's　that？〃　exclaimed　a　small　pupil…teacher；　who　also

assisted　this　morning；　to　her　great　delight。　　She　ran　half…way　down

the　stairs；　and　peeped　round　the　banister。　　〃O；　you　should；　you

should；　you　should！〃　she　exclaimed；　scrambling　up　to　the　room　again。



〃What？〃　said　Fancy。



〃See　the　bridesmaids！　　They've　just　a　come！　'Tis　wonderful；　really！

'tis　wonderful　how　muslin　can　be　brought　to　it。　　There；　they　don't

look　a　bit　like　themselves；　but　like　some　very　rich　sisters　o'

theirs　that　nobody　knew　they　had！〃



〃Make　'em　come　up　to　me；　make　'em　come　up！〃　cried　Fancy

ecstatically；　and　the　four　damsels　appointed；　namely；　Miss　Susan

Dewy；　Miss　Bessie　Dewy；　Miss　Vashti　Sniff；　and　Miss　Mercy　Onmey；

surged　upstairs；　and　floated　along　the　passage。



〃I　wish　Dick　would　come！〃　was　again　the　burden　of　Fancy。



The　same　instant　a　small　twig　and　flower　from　the　creeper　outside

the　door　flew　in　at　the　open　window；　and　a　masculine　voice　said；

〃Ready；　Fancy　dearest？〃



〃There　he　is；　he　is！〃　cried　Fancy；　tittering　spasmodically；　and

breathing　as　it　were　for　the　first　time　that　morning。



The　bridesmaids　crowded　to　the　window　and　turned　their　heads　in　the

direction　pointed　out；　at　which　motion　eight　earrings　all　swung　as

one：　not　looking　at　Dick　because　they　particularly　wanted　to　see

him；　but　with　an　important　sense　of　their　duty　as　obedient　ministers

of　the　will　of　that　apotheosised　beingthe　Bride。



〃He　looks　very　taking！〃　said　Miss　Vashti　Sniff；　a　young　lady　who

blushed　cream…colour　and　wore　yellow　bonnet　ribbons。



Dick　was　advancing　to　the　door　in　a　painfully　new　coat　of　shining

cloth；　primrose…coloured　waistcoat；　hat　of　the　same　painful　style　of

newness；　and　with　an　extra　quantity　of　whiskers　shaved　off　his　face；

and　hair　cut　to　an　unwonted　shortness　in　honour　of　the　occasion。



〃Now；　I'll　run　down；〃　said　Fancy；　looking　at　herself　over　her

shoulder　in　the　glass；　and　flitting　off。



〃O　Dick！〃　she　exclaimed；　〃I　am　so　glad　you　are　come！　　I　knew　you

would；　of　course；　but　I　thought；　Oh　if　you　shouldn't！〃



〃Not　come；　Fancy！　　Het　or　wet；　blow　or　snow；　here　come　I　to…day！

Why；　what's　possessing　your　little　soul？　　You　never　used　to　mind

such　things　a　bit。〃



〃Ah；　Mr。　Dick；　I　hadn't　hoisted　my　colours　and　committed　myself

then！〃　said　Fancy。



〃'Tis　a　pity　I　can't　marry　the　whole　five　of　ye！〃　said　Dick；

surveying　them　all　round。



〃Heh…heh…heh！〃　laughed　the　four　bridesmaids；　and　Fancy　privately

touched　Dick　and　smoothed　him　down　behind　his　shoulder；　as　if　to

assure　herself　that　he　was　there　in　flesh　and　blood　as　her　own

property。



〃Well；　whoever　would　have　thought　such　a　thing？〃　said　Dick；　taking

off　his　hat；　sinking　into　a　chair；　and　turning　to　the　elder　members

of　the　company。



The　latter　arranged　their　eyes　and　lips　to　signify　that　in　their

opinion　nobody　could　have　thought　such　a　thing；　whatever　it　was。



〃That　my　bees　should　ha'　swarmed　just　then；　of　all　times　and

seasons！〃　continued　Dick；　throwing　a　comprehensive　glance　like　a　net

over　the　whole　auditory。　　〃And　'tis　a　fine　swarm；　too：　　I　haven't

seen　such　a　fine　swarm　for　these　ten　years。〃



〃A'　excellent　sign；〃　said　Mrs。　Penny；　from　the　depths　of　experience。

〃A'　excellent　sign。〃



〃I　am　glad　everything　seems　so　right；〃　said　Fancy　with　a　breath　of

relief。



〃And　so　am　I；〃　said　the　four　bridesmaids　with　much　sympathy。



〃Well；　bees　can't　be　put　off；〃　observed　the　inharmonious　grandfather

James。　　〃Marrying　a　woman　is　a　thing　you　can　do　at　any　moment；　but　a

swarm　o'　bees　won't　come　for　the　asking。〃



Dick　fanned　himself　with　his　hat。　　〃I　can't　think；〃　he　said

thoughtfully；　〃whatever　'twas　I　did　to　offend　Mr。　Maybold；　a　man　I

like　so　much　too。　　He　rather　took　to　me　when　he　came　first；　and　used

to　say　he　should　l