of a well-suppressed activity are manifest to an experienced eye
like mine. All the grocers, the bakers, the candlestick-makers, and the
women, who always precede the men, are mightily gathered together. And
the men are holding counsel in a milder way. They have got three jugs
at the old boat-house for the benefit of holloaing in the open air.
Moreover, the lane inland is scored with a regular market-day of wheels,
and there is no market this side of the old town. Carroway, vigilant
captain of men, why have you forsaken your domestic hearth? Is it
through jealousy of Nettlebones, and a stern resolve to be ahead of him?
Robin, my Robin, is a genius in tactics, a very bright Napoleon of free
trade. He penetrates the counsels, or, what is more, the feelings,
of those who camp against him. He means to land this great emprise at
Captain Carroway's threshold. True justice on the man for sleeping out
of his own bed so long! But instead of bowing to the blow, he would
turn a downright maniac, according to all I hear of him. Well, it is no
concern of mine, so long as nobody is killed, which everybody makes such
a fuss about."

CHAPTER XXXII

CORDIAL ENJOYMENT

The poise of this great enterprise was hanging largely in the sky, from
which come all things, and to which resolved they are referred again.
The sky, to hold an equal balance, or to decline all troublesome
responsibility about it, went away, or (to put it more politely) retired
from the scene. Even as nine men out of ten, when a handsome fight is
toward, would rather have no opinion on the merits, but abide in their
breeches, and there keep their hands till the fist of the victor
is opened, so at this period the upper firmament nodded a strict
neutrality. And yet, on the whole, it must have indulged a sneaking
proclivity toward free trade; otherwise, why should it have been as
follows?

November now was far advanced; and none but sanguine Britons hoped,
at least in this part of the world, to know (except from memory and
predictions of the almanac) whether the sun were round or square, until
next Easter-day should come. It was not quite impossible that he
might appear at Candlemas, when he is supposed to give a dance, though
hitherto a strictly private one; but even so, this premature frisk of
his were undesirable, if faith in ancient rhyme be any. But putting him
out of the question, as he had already put himself, the things that
were below him, and, from leng