amid ringing cheers and a
shower of old slippers.

This was the last of Redding and Flora for that day, but it was by no
means the last of the party. In those regions at that time (whatever
they may do in those regions nowadays) wedding parties were peculiarly
festive scenes, in which dancing was one of the means by which not only
the young but the middle-aged were wont to let off superabundant steam,
and a violin more or less cracked and vigorously played was the
instrument which created inspiration. It would take a volume to tell of
all that was said and done on that great and memorable occasion--how the
plump little Miss Gambarts fluttered about like erratic flowers, or like
captivating comets drawing a long tail of the Partridge Bay young men
after them; how, as the evening wore on, all social distinctions were
swept away and the servants were invited to exchange duty in the kitchen
for dancing in the hall; how Le Rue danced so often with Elise and made
his admiration of her so obvious that she became quite ashamed of him
and cast him off in favour of any one else who asked her; how Jonas
Bellew was prevailed on to ask Mrs Crowder to dance a Scotch reel with
him, which she not only agreed to do but did to the delight of Jonas and
the admiration of all the company; how Mister Rooney volunteered to
dance the sailor's hornpipe, and acquitted himself so well, despite the
inability of the violinist to play the proper tune, that his performance
was greeted with rapturous applause; how the floor at last began to show
symptoms of giving way, and how their only musician did finally give
way, from sheer exhaustion, and thus brought matters to an abrupt close.

But all this, and a great deal more that we have not told, was as
nothing compared to the "feast of reason and the flow of soul," that
occurred at the supper, a meal which had been expressly reserved as a
last resource when the violinist should break down. Another volume, at
least, would be required to record it all.

There was food of course in profusion, and there was also, which is not
always so common, splendid sauce in the form of appetite. There were
also songs and toasts; and speeches which would have done credit to the
halls of more civilised lands, in all of which the performers exhibited
every phase of human nature, from the sublime to the ridiculous.

At this stage of the proceedings McLeod senior conducted himself with
that manly straightforward vigou