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the others； fixed his eyes firmly on the knocker during this
interval of waiting。 The knocker having no characteristic worthy of
notice； he relinquished it for a knot in one of the door…panels； and
studied the winding lines of the grain。
〃O； sir； please； here's Tranter Dewy； and old William Dewy； and
young Richard Dewy； O； and all the quire too； sir； except the boys；
a…come to see you！〃 said Mr。 Maybold's maid…servant to Mr。 Maybold；
the pupils of her eyes dilating like circles in a pond。
〃All the choir？〃 said the astonished vicar （who may be shortly
described as a good…looking young man with courageous eyes； timid
mouth； and neutral nose）； abandoning his writing and looking at his
parlour…maid after speaking； like a man who fancied he had seen her
face before but couldn't recollect where。
〃And they looks very firm； and Tranter Dewy do turn neither to the
right hand nor to the left； but stares quite straight and solemn
with his mind made up！〃
〃O； all the choir；〃 repeated the vicar to himself； trying by that
simple device to trot out his thoughts on what the choir could come
for。
〃Yes； every man…jack of 'em； as I be alive！〃 （The parlour…maid was
rather local in manner； having in fact been raised in the same
village。） 〃Really； sir； 'tis thoughted by many in town and country
that〃
〃Town and country！Heavens； I had no idea that I was public
property in this way！〃 said the vicar； his face acquiring a hue
somewhere between that of the rose and the peony。 〃Well； 'It is
thought in town and country that'〃
〃It is thought that you be going to get it hot and strongexcusen
my incivility； sir。〃
The vicar suddenly recalled to his recollection that he had long ago
settled it to be decidedly a mistake to encourage his servant Jane
in giving personal opinions。 The servant Jane saw by the vicar's
face that he recalled this fact to his mind； and removing her
forehead from the edge of the door； and rubbing away the indent that
edge had made； vanished into the passage as Mr。 Maybold remarked；
〃Show them in； Jane。〃
A few minutes later a shuffling and jostling （reduced to as refined
a form as was compatible with the nature of shuffles and jostles）
was heard in the passage； then an earnest and prolonged wiping of
shoes； conveying the notion that volumes of mud had to be removed；
but the roads being so clean that not a particle of dirt appeared on
the choir's boots （those of all the elder members being newly oiled；
and Dick's brightly polished）； this wiping might have been set down
simply as a desire to show that respectable men had no wish to take
a mean advantage of clean roads for curtailing proper ceremonies。
Next there came a powerful whisper from the same quarter：…
〃Now stand stock…still there； my sonnies； one and all！ And don't
make no noise； and keep your backs close to the wall； that company
may pass in and out easy if they want to without squeezing through
ye： and we two are enough to go in。〃 。 。 。 The voice was the
tranter's。
〃I wish I could go in too and see the sight！〃 said a reedy voice
that of Leaf。
〃'Tis a pity Leaf is so terrible silly； or else he might；〃 said
another。
〃I never in my life seed a quire go into a study to have it out
about the playing and singing；〃 pleaded Leaf； 〃and I should like to
see it just once！〃
〃Very well； we'll let en come in；〃 said the tranter。 〃You'll be
like chips in porridge； ｛1｝ Leafneither good nor hurt。 All right；
my sonny； come along；〃 and immediately himself； old William； and
Leaf appeared in the room。
〃We took the liberty to come and see 'ee； sir；〃 said Reuben； letting
his hat hang in his left hand； and touching with his right the brim
of an imaginary one on his head。 〃We've come to see 'ee； sir； man
and man； and no offence； I hope？〃
〃None at all；〃 said Mr。 Maybold。
〃This old aged man standing by my side is father； William Dewy by
name； sir。〃
〃Yes； I see it is；〃 said the vicar； nodding aside to old William；
who smiled。
〃I thought you mightn't know en without his bass…viol；〃 the tranter
apologized。 〃You see； he always wears his best clothes and his
bass…viol a…Sundays； and it do make such a difference in a' old
man's look。〃
〃And who's that young man？〃 the vicar said。
〃Tell the pa'son yer name；〃 said the tranter； turning to Leaf； who
stood with his elbows nailed back to a bookcase。
〃Please； Thomas Leaf； your holiness！〃 said Leaf； trembling。
〃I hope you'll excuse his looks being so very thin；〃 continued the
tranter deprecatingly； turning to the vicar again。 〃But 'tisn't his
fault； poor feller。 He's rather silly by nature； and could never
get fat； though he's a' excellent treble； and so we keep him on。〃
〃I never had no head； sir；〃 said Leaf； eagerly grasping at this
opportunity for being forgiven his existence。
〃Ah； poor young man！〃 said Mr。 Maybold。
〃Bless you； he don't mind it a bit； if you don't； sir；〃 said the
tranter assuringly。 〃Do ye； Leaf？〃
〃Not Inot a morselhee； hee！ I was afeard it mightn't please
your holiness； sir； that's all。〃
The tranter； finding Leaf get on so very well through his negative
qualities； was tempted in a fit of generosity to advance him still
higher； by giving him credit for positive ones。 〃He's very clever
for a silly chap； good…now； sir。 You never knowed a young feller
keep his smock…frocks so clane； very honest too。 His ghastly looks
is all there is against en； poor feller； but we can't help our
looks； you know； sir。〃
〃True： we cannot。 You live with your mother； I think； Leaf？〃
The tranter looked at Leaf to express that the most friendly
assistant to his tongue could do no more for him now； and that he
must be left to his own resources。
〃Yes； sir： a widder； sir。 Ah； if brother Jim had lived she'd have
had a clever son to keep her without work！〃
〃Indeed！ poor woman。 Give her this half…crown。 I'll call and see
your mother。〃
〃Say； 'Thank you； sir；'〃 the tranter whispered imperatively towards
Leaf。
〃Thank you； sir！〃 said Leaf。
〃That's it； then； sit down； Leaf；〃 said Mr。 Maybold。
〃Y…yes； sir！〃
The tranter cleared his throat after this accidental parenthesis
about Leaf； rectified his bodily position； and began his speech。
〃Mr。 Mayble；〃 he said； 〃I hope you'll excuse my common way； but I
always like to look things in the face。〃
Reuben made a point of fixing this sentence in the vicar's mind by
gazing hard at him at the conclusion of it； and then out of the
window。
Mr。 Maybold and old William looked in the same direction； apparently
under the impression that the things' faces alluded to were there
visible。
〃What I have been thinking〃the tranter implied by this use of the
past tense that he was hardly so discourteous as to be positively
thinking it then〃is that the quire ought to be gie'd a little
time； and not done away wi' till Christmas；