w what Mr. Shiner had said, was saying, or
was about to say; but wildly flinging his arms and body about in the
forms of capital Xs and Ys, he appeared to utter enough invectives to
consign the whole parish to perdition.

"Very onseemly--very!" said old William, as they retired. "Never such a
dreadful scene in the whole round o' my carrel practice--never! And he a
churchwarden!"

"Only a drap o' drink got into his head," said the tranter. "Man's well
enough when he's in his religious frame. He's in his worldly frame now.
Must ask en to our bit of a party to-morrow night, I suppose, and so put
en in humour again. We bear no mortal man ill-will."

They now crossed Mellstock Bridge, and went along an embowered path
beside the Froom towards the church and vicarage, meeting Voss with the
hot mead and bread-and-cheese as they were approaching the churchyard.
This determined them to eat and drink before proceeding further, and they
entered the church and ascended to the gallery. The lanterns were
opened, and the whole body sat round against the walls on benches and
whatever else was available, and made a hearty meal. In the pauses of
conversation there could be heard through the floor overhead a little
world of undertones and creaks from the halting clockwork, which never
spread further than the tower they were born in, and raised in the more
meditative minds a fancy that here lay the direct pathway of Time.

Having done eating and drinking, they again tuned the instruments, and
once more the party emerged into the night air.

"Where's Dick?" said old Dewy.

Every man looked round upon every other man, as if Dick might have been
transmuted into one or the other; and then they said they didn't know.

"Well now, that's what I call very nasty of Master Dicky, that I do,"
said Michael Mail.

"He've clinked off home-along, depend upon't," another suggested, though
not quite believing that he had.

"Dick!" exclaimed the tranter, and his voice rolled sonorously forth
among the yews.

He suspended his muscles rigid as stone whilst listening for an answer,
and finding he listened in vain, turned to the assemblage.

"The treble man too! Now if he'd been a tenor or counter chap, we might
ha' contrived the rest o't without en, you see. But for a quire to lose
the treble, why, my sonnies, you may so well lose your . . . " The
tranter paused, unable to mention an image vast enough for the occasion.

"Your head at onc