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contemporaneously？〃
_Ips。_ 〃Is the drinking…song in 'Der Freischutz' a tune？〃
_Lady Bar。_ 〃It is。〃
_Ips。_ 〃And the melodies of Handel； are they tunes？〃
_Lady Bar。 （pathetically）。_ 〃They are！ They are！〃
_Ips。_ 〃And the 'Russian Anthem；' and the 'Marseillaise；' and 'Ah；
Perdona'？〃
_Tal。_ 〃And 'Yankee Doodle'？〃
_Lady Bar。_ 〃So that Sir Henry； who prided himself on his ignorance； has
a wide field for its dominion。
_Tal。_ 〃All good violin players do like me； they prelude； not play
tunes。〃
_Ips。_ 〃Then Heaven be thanked for our blind fiddlers。 You like syllables
of sound in unmeaning rotation； and you despise its words； its purposes；
its narrative feats； carry out your principle； it will show you where you
are。 Buy a dirty palette for a picture； and dream the alphabet is a
poem。〃
_Lady Bar。； to herself。_ 〃Is this my cousin Richard？〃
_Hither。_ 〃Mind； Ipsden； you are a man of property； and there are such
things as commissions _de lunatico。〃_
_Lady Bar。_ 〃His defense will be that his friends pronounced him insane。
_Ips。_ 〃No； I shall subpoena Talbot's fiddle； cross…examination will get
nothing out of that but； do； re； mi； fa。〃
_Lady Bar。_ 〃Yes； it will； fa； mi； re； do。〃
_Tal。_ 〃Violin； if you please。〃
_Lady Bar。_ 〃Ask Fiddle's pardon； directly。〃
_Sound of fiddles is heard in the distance。_
_Tal。_ 〃How lucky for you； there are fiddles and tunes； and the natives
you are said to favor； why not join them？〃
_Ips。 （shaking his head solemnly）。_ 〃I dread to encounter another
prelude。〃
_Hither。_ 〃Come； I know you would like it； it is a wedding…partytwo sea
monsters have been united。 The sailors and fishermen are all blue cloth
and wash…leather gloves。〃
_Miss V。_ 〃He！ he！〃
_Tal。_ 〃The fishwives unite the colors of the rainbow〃
_Lady Bar。_ 〃（And we all know how hideous they are）to vulgar； blooming
cheeks； staring white teeth； and sky…blue eyes。〃
_Mrs。 V。_ 〃How satirical you are； especially you； Lady Barbara。〃
Here Lord Ipsden； after a word to Lady Barbara； the answer to which did
not appear to be favorable； rose； gave a little yawn； looked steadily at
his companions without seeing them； and departed without seeming aware
that he was leaving anybody behind him。
_Hither。_ 〃Let us go somewhere where we can quiz the natives without
being too near them。〃
_Lady Bar。_ 〃I am tired of this unbroken solitude； I must go and think to
the sea；〃 added she； in a mock soliloquy； and out she glided with the
same unconscious air as his lordship had worn。
The others moved off slowly together。
〃Mamma；〃 said Miss Vere；〃 I can't understand half Barbara Sinclair says。〃
〃It is not necessary； my love；〃 replied mamma； 〃she is rather eccentric；
and I fear she is spoiling Lord Ipsden。〃
〃Poor Lord Ipsden；〃 murmured the lovely Vere； 〃he used to be so nice； and
do like everybody else。 Mamma； I shall bring some work the next time。〃
〃Do； my love。〃
PICNIC NO。 2。
In a house； two hundred yards from this scene； a merry dance； succeeding
a merry song； had ended； and they were in the midst of an interesting
story； Christie Johnstone was the narrator。 She had found the tale in one
of the viscount's booksit had made a great impression on her。
The rest were listening intently。 In a room which had lately been all
noise； not a sound was now to be heard but the narrator's voice。
〃Aweel； lasses； here are the three wee kists set； the lads are to
chusethe ane that chuses reicht is to get Porsha； an' the lave to get
the bag； and dee baitchelarsFlucker Johnstone； you that's sae
cleverare ye for gowd； or siller； or leed？〃
_1st Fishwife。_ 〃Gowd for me！〃
_2d ditto。_ 〃The white siller's my taste。〃
_Flucker。_ 〃Na！ there's aye some deevelish trick in thir lassie's
stories。 I shall ha to； till the ither lads hae chused； the mair part
will put themsels oot； ane will hit it off reicht maybe； then I shall gie
him a hidin' an' carry off the lass。 You…hoo！〃
_Jean Carnie。_ 〃That's you； Flucker。〃
_Christie Johnstone。_ 〃And div ye really think we are gawn to let you see
a' the world chuse？ Na； lad； ye are putten oot o' the room； like
witnesses。〃
_Flucker。_ 〃Then I'd toss a penny； for gien ye trust to luck； she whiles
favors ye； but gien ye commence to reason and argefyye're done！〃
_Christie。_ 〃The suitors had na your wit； my manny； or maybe they had na
a penny to toss； sae ane chused the gowd； ane the siller； but they got an
awfu' affront。 The gold kist had just a skull intil't； and the siller a
deed cuddy's head！〃
_Chorus of Females。_ 〃He！ he！ he！〃
_Ditto of Males。_ 〃Haw！ haw！ haw！ haw！ Ho！〃
_Christie。_ 〃An' Porsha puttit the pair of gowks to the door。 Then came
Bassanio； the lad fra Veeneece； that Porsha loed in secret。 Veeneece；
lasses； is a wonderful city； the streets o' 't are water； and the
carriages are boatsthat's in Chambers'。〃
_Flucker。_ 〃Wha are ye making a fool o'？〃
_Christie。_ 〃What's wrang？〃
_Flucker。_ 〃Yon's just as big a lee as ever I heerd。〃
The words were scarcely out of his mouth ere he had reason to regret
them； a severe box on the ear was administered by his indignant sister。
Nobody pitied him。
_Christie。_ 〃I'll laern yet' affront me before a' the company。〃
_Jean Carnie。_ 〃Suppose it's a lee； there's nae silver to pay for it；
Flucker。〃
_Christie。_ 〃Jean； I never telt a lee in a' my days。〃
_Jean。_ 〃There's ane to begin wi' then。 Go ahead； Custy。〃
_Christie。_ 〃She bade the music play for him； for music brightens
thoucht； ony way； he chose the leed kist。 Open'st and wasn't there
Porsha's pictur； and a posy； that said：
'If you be well pleased with this； And hold your fortune for your bliss；
Turn you where your leddy iss； And greet her wi' a loving〃' _（Pause）。_
〃Kess；〃 roared the company。
_Chorus； led by Flucker。_ 〃Hurraih！〃
_Christie （pathetically）。_ 〃Flucker； behave！〃
_Sandy Liston （drunk）。_ 〃Hur…raih！〃 He then solemnly reflected。 〃Na！ but
it's na hurraih； decency requires amen first an' hurraih afterward；
here's kissin plenty； but I hear nae word o' the minister。 Ye'll
obsairve； young woman； that kissin's the prologue to sin； and I'm a
decent mon； an' a gray…headed mon； an' your licht stories are no for me；
sae if the minister's no expeckit I shall retirean' tak my quiet gill
my lane。〃
_Jean Carnie。_ 〃And div ye really think a decent cummer like Custy wad
let the lad and lass misbehave thirsels？ Na！ lad； the minister's at the
door； but〃 （sinking her voice to a confidential whisper） 〃I daurna let
him in； for fear he'd see ye hae putten the enemy in your mooth sae
aerly。 （That's Custy's word。）〃
〃Jemmy Drysel；〃 replied Sandy； addressing vacancy； for Jemmy was
mysteriously at work in the kitchen； 〃ye hae gotten a thoughtfu' wife。〃
（Then； with a strong revulsion of feeling。） 〃Dinna let the blackguard* in
here；〃 cried he； 〃to spoil the young folk's sporrt。〃
* At present this is a spondee in Englanda trochee in Scotland The
pronunciation of this important word ought to be fixed； representing； as
it does； so large a portion of the community in both countries。
_Christie。_ 〃Aweel； lassies； comes a letter to Bassanio； he reads it； and
turns as pale as deet