ness of pasties and tarts,
the orchardfuls of fruit, the oceans of strong ale--the very fragments
of which would have been enough to carry a garrison through a
twelvemonth's siege. After having "satiated themselves with eating and
drinking," like the large-stomached heroes of the antique world, they
had an hour's interval for sauntering, that healthy digestion might have
time to arrange and stow away the immense load which the vessel had just
taken in. Again, however, they marshalled to the piper's warning note,
playing, "Fy, let us a' to the bridal!" and this time marched to the
spacious, smooth, and beautiful lawn in front of the castle, where
_Givan's Band_ awaited their arrival, and the dance speedily began. The
merriment now swelled to ecstacy; lads and lasses leaped through and
through, as on the wings of zephyrs; a hundred couples bounding at once
on the green sward; the old folks chiming in the chorus of universal
laughter, and snapping their fingers to the dances in which they had no
longer the strength and nimbleness to join; the youngsters getting up
mimic reels in sly corners; and the music seeming to stir into delight
the branches of the great elms which festooned this ball-room of nature.
But was there not something awanting to complete the unity of the scene?
Where was the presiding divinity?

" ... _Deus_ nobis haec otia fecit,
Namque erit ille mihi semper deus."

Oh, for an hour past he has been watching the rustic carnival from
yonder portico, with his gracious duchess (much his junior), his true
help-meet in everything good, courteous, and benevolent! At length he
descends into the circle, with a smile to all, a word of recognition to
this one, a light airy jest at the expense of that one, and a responsive
_hooch_ to the wild, whirling dancers. As he advances, all the pretty
girls draw themselves up to catch his eye, and to have the honour of his
hand in the dance. He strolls about, peering gently, until, in some
obscure corner, he espies a young, shy, modest damsel, the lowliest
there, whom no one is noticing, a lowly worker in the back kitchen, or
even in the fields. Her he selects--blushing with surprise and a tumult
of nameless emotions--to be Queen of the festival; he pats her on the
shoulders, whispers paternal-gallant things in her ear, and calling
lustily for "Tullochgorum" from the fiddlers, leads her gracefully
through the dance, himself--though upwards of eighty--throwing some
ste