eat wooden chest, studded with brass nails, which he never took his eye
from, be removed to an upper-chamber, to make room for their guests. But
Harry Harson, who was in the thick of all the doings, in and out a dozen
times in an hour; rubbing his hands and enjoying the bustle, giving
advice, suggesting this thing and that, and setting every thing wrong;
managed to get the great chest out of the way, for he dragged it up stairs
under Rhoneland's very nose, and in the teeth of his remonstrances; and
depositing it in a little out-of-the-way room, very difficult of access,
by reason of the angles and turns in the entry, and the size of the chest,
told Rhoneland that if he wanted it below he might take it there himself;
but that it was better where it was, and much more safe and out of the
way; in which opinion Rhoneland finally coincided.

Betimes Kate came down stairs to receive her guests, looking so
charmingly, and her eyes flashing with such malicious brightness, that on
meeting her in the entry Ned stopped to kiss her, and tell her that she
was looking 'gloriously;' a performance and observation by the way, which
he had already repeated half-a-dozen times in the course of the last hour.
By twos and threes the guests began to arrive, and went up stairs. There
was a great clatter above, where they were taking off their things. It
took a wonderful time to remove the hats and shawls; for although for a
long time up they went, none came down. There must have been thirty
assembled above stairs. At last Harry Harson, who was in the room with Ned
and Kate, dressed in his best black suit, and looking as young and merry
as any of them, vowed that he would not stand it, and sallied up stairs
and sent them down in a drove. How bright and cheerful they all were! how
the congratulations poured in upon Ned and Kate; and hopes for his future
happiness, and that he might have a large fortune, and a large family to
help him take care of it.

A loud scraping and jingling announced that the music was there, and put a
stop to such flummery as conversation. The young folks were going into the
business of the evening. The little stunted black fiddler with rings in
his ears, was mounted on one chair; the big, fat fiddler, who fiddled with
his eyes shut, was seated on another; and the goggle-eyed negro, with a
self-satisfied face, who simpered on every body, and flourished the
tambourine, was placed like an umbrella in the corner, to be out of