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fitting black which makes a funeral of every English Sunday and holiday；
were assembled； drearily guffawing as they smoked their cigarettes。
They made way for Henry Wimbush； touching their caps as he passed。
He returned their salute； his bowler and face were one in their unruffled
gravity。
In Sir Ferdinando's time； he reflected； in the time of his son； Sir Julius；
these young men would have had their Sunday diversions even at Crome；
remote and rustic Crome。 There would have been archery； skittles；
dancingsocial amusements in which they would have partaken as
members of a conscious community。 Now they had nothing； nothing
except Mr。 Bodiham's forbidding Boys' Club and the rare dances and
concerts organised by himself。 Boredom or the urban pleasures of the
county metropolis were the alternatives that presented themselves to these
poor youths。 Country pleasures were no more； they had been stamped out
by the Puritans。
In Manningham's Diary for 1600 there was a queer passage； he
remembered； a very queer passage。 Certain magistrates in Berkshire；
Puritan magistrates； had had wind of a scandal。 One moonlit summer
night they had ridden out with their posse and there； among the hills； they
had come upon a company of men and women； dancing； stark naked；
among the sheepcotes。 The magistrates and their men had ridden their
horses into the crowd。 How self…conscious the poor people must suddenly
have felt； how helpless without their clothes against armed and booted
horsemen！ The dancers were arrested； whipped； gaoled； set in the stocks；
the moonlight dance is never danced again。 What old； earthy； Panic rite
came to extinction here？ he wondered。 Who knows？ perhaps their
ancestors had danced like this in the moonlight ages before Adam and Eve
were so much as thought of。 He liked to think so。 And now it was no
more。 These weary young men； if they wanted to dance； would have to
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bicycle six miles to the town。 The country was desolate； without life of
its own； without indigenous pleasures。 The pious magistrates had
snuffed out for ever a little happy flame that had burned from the
beginning of time。
〃And as on Tullia's tomb one lamp burned clear； Unchanged for fifteen
hundred year。。。〃
He repeated the lines to himself； and was desolated to think of all the
murdered past。
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CHAPTER XIX。
Henry Wimbush's long cigar burned aromatically。 The 〃History of
Crome〃 lay on his knee； slowly he turned over the pages。
〃I can't decide what episode to read you to…night；〃 he said thoughtfully。
〃Sir Ferdinando's voyages are not without interest。 Then； of course；
there's his son； Sir Julius。 It was he who suffered from the delusion that
his perspiration engendered flies； it drove him finally to suicide。 Or
there's Sir Cyprian。〃 He turned the pages more rapidly。 〃Or Sir Henry。
Or Sir George。。。No； I'm inclined to think I won't read about any of these。〃
〃But you must read something；〃 insisted Mr。 Scogan； taking his pipe
out of his mouth。
〃I think I shall read about my grandfather；〃 said Henry Wimbush； 〃and
the events that led up to his marriage with the eldest daughter of the last
Sir Ferdinando。〃
〃Good；〃 said Mr。 Scogan。 〃We are listening。〃
〃Before I begin reading；〃 said Henry Wimbush； looking up from the
book and taking off the pince…nez which he had just fitted to his nose
〃before their begin； I must say a few preliminary words about Sir
Ferdinando； the last of the Lapiths。 At the death of the virtuous and
unfortunate Sir Hercules； Ferdinando found himself in possession of the
family fortune； not a little increased by his father's temperance and thrift；
he applied himself forthwith to the task of spending it； which he did in an
ample and jovial fashion。 By the time he was forty he had eaten and；
above all； drunk and loved away about half his capital； and would
infallibly have soon got rid of the rest in the same manner； if he had not
had the good fortune to become so madly enamoured of the Rector's
daughter as to make a proposal of marriage。 The young lady accepted
him； and in less than a year had become the absolute mistress of Crome
and her husband。 An extraordinary reformation made itself apparent in
Sir Ferdinando's character。 He grew regular and economical in his habits；
he even became temperate； rarely drinking more than a bottle and a half of
port at a sitting。 The waning fortune of the Lapiths began once more to
wax； and that in despite of the hard times （for Sir Ferdinando married in
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1809 in the height of the Napoleonic Wars）。 A prosperous and dignified
old age； cheered by the spectacle of his children's growth and happiness
for Lady Lapith had already borne him three daughters； and there seemed
no good reason why she should not bear many more of them； and sons as
wella patriarchal decline into the family vault； seemed now to be Sir
Ferdinando's enviable destiny。 But Providence willed otherwise。 To
Napoleon； cause already of such infinite mischief； was due； though
perhaps indirectly； the untimely and violent death which put a period to
this reformed existence。
〃Sir Ferdinando； who was above all things a patriot； had adopted； from
the earliest days of the conflict with the French； his own peculiar method
of celebrating our victories。 When the happy news reached London； it
was his custom to purchase immediately a large store of liquor and； taking
a place on whichever of the outgoing coaches he happened to light on first；
to drive through the country proclaiming the good news to all he met on
the road and dispensing it； along with the liquor； at every stopping…place to
all who cared to listen or drink。 Thus； after the Nile； he had driven as far