第61章 A FEW CRUSTED CHARACTERS(6)

The two couples had arranged to get married on the same day,and that not long thence;Tony's wedding being a sort of stimulant,as is often the case;I've noticed it professionally many times.

'They danced with such a will as only young people in that stage of courtship can dance;and it happened that as the evening wore on James had for his partner Stephen's plighted one,Olive,at the same time that Stephen was dancing with James's Emily.It was noticed that in spite o'the exchange the young men seemed to enjoy the dance no less than before.By and by they were treading another tune in the same changed order as we had noticed earlier,and though at first each one had held the other's mistress strictly at half-arm's length,lest there should be shown any objection to too close quarters by the lady's proper man,as time passed there was a little more closeness between 'em;and presently a little more closeness still.

'The later it got the more did each of the two cousins dance with the wrong young girl,and the tighter did he hold her to his side as he whirled her round;and,what was very remarkable,neither seemed to mind what the other was doing.The party began to draw towards its end,and I saw no more that night,being one of the first to leave,on account of my morning's business.But I learnt the rest of it from those that knew.

'After finishing a particularly warming dance with the changed partners,as I've mentioned,the two young men looked at one another,and in a moment or two went out into the porch together.

"James,"says Steve,"what were you thinking of when you were dancing with my Olive?""Well,"said James,"perhaps what you were thinking of when you were dancing with my Emily.""I was thinking,"said Steve,with some hesitation,"that I wouldn't mind changing for good and all!""It was what I was feeling likewise,"said James.

"I willingly agree to it,if you think we could manage it.""So do I.But what would the girls say?"

"'Tis my belief,"said Steve,"that they wouldn't particularly object.Your Emily clung as close to me as if she already belonged to me,dear girl.""And your Olive to me,"says James."I could feel her heart beating like a clock."'Well,they agreed to put it to the girls when they were all four walking home together.And they did so.When they parted that night the exchange was decided on--all having been done under the hot excitement of that evening's dancing.Thus it happened that on the following Sunday morning,when the people were sitting in church with mouths wide open to hear the names published as they had expected,there was no small amazement to hear them coupled the wrong way,as it seemed.The congregation whispered,and thought the parson had made a mistake;till they discovered that his reading of the names was verily the true way.As they had decided,so they were married,each one to the other's original property.

'Well,the two couples lived on for a year or two ordinarily enough,till the time came when these young people began to grow a little less warm to their respective spouses,as is the rule of married life;and the two cousins wondered more and more in their hearts what had made 'em so mad at the last moment to marry crosswise as they did,when they might have married straight,as was planned by nature,and as they had fallen in love.'Twas Tony's party that had done IT,plain enough,and they half wished they had never gone there.James,being a quiet,fireside,perusing man,felt at times a wide gap between himself and Olive,his wife,who loved riding and driving and out--door jaunts to a degree;while Steve,who was always knocking about hither and thither,had a very domestic wife,who worked samplers,and made hearthrugs,scarcely ever wished to cross the threshold,and only drove out with him to please him.

'However,they said very little about this mismating to any of their acquaintances,though sometimes Steve would look at James's wife and sigh,and James would look at Steve's wife and do the same.Indeed,at last the two men were frank enough towards each other not to mind mentioning it quietly to themselves,in a long-faced,sorry-smiling,whimsical sort of way,and would shake their heads together over their foolishness in upsetting a well-considered choice on the strength of an hour's fancy in the whirl and wildness of a dance.

Still,they were sensible and honest young fellows enough,and did their best to make shift with their lot as they had arranged it,and not to repine at what could not now be altered or mended.

'So things remained till one fine summer day they went for their yearly little outing together,as they had made it their custom to do for a long while past.This year they chose Budmouth-Regis as the place to spend their holiday in;and off they went in their best clothes at nine o'clock in the morning.

'When they had reached Budmouth-Regis they walked two and two along the shore--their new boots going squeakity-squash upon the clammy velvet sands.I can seem to see 'em now!Then they looked at the ships in the harbour;and then went up to the Look-out;and then had dinner at an inn;and then again walked two and two,squeakity-squash,upon the velvet sands.As evening drew on they sat on one of the public seats upon the Esplanade,and listened to the band;and then they said "What shall we do next?""Of all things,"said Olive (Mrs.James Hardcome,that is),"Ishould like to row in the bay!We could listen to the music from the water as well as from here,and have the fun of rowing besides.""The very thing;so should I,"says Stephen,his tastes being always like hers.

Here the clerk turned to the curate.

'But you,sir,know the rest of the strange particulars of that strange evening of their lives better than anybody else,having had much of it from their own lips,which I had not;and perhaps you'll oblige the gentleman?'