156 HIGHLAND DANCES. 



in the bride herself, whose mother was the niece of 

 a quondam captain in the Navy. 



But I must now once more to my story, which 

 has been interrupted too long by this digression. 



Our tea over, which had been attended by only 

 a few, we were ushered into the ball-room, if that name 

 can appropriately be assigned to a chamber smaller than 

 the one already described, and lit up by two or three 

 farthing dips. Here the scene was amusing, and to me 

 quite new. Huddled up in one corner of the room 

 were all the ladies, the gentlemen standing in the door- 

 way, or on the fireless hearth, their heads halfway up 

 the capacious and projecting chimney, or sitting on a 

 large box by the wall. As we entered, a reel was 

 about to begin; but though there were upwards of 

 thirty people assembled, no more than four could find 

 room to dance comfortably at once. At weddings 

 generally a piper is engaged, and as all present are 

 expected to contribute towards paying him, he not 

 unfrequently makes a good day's work of it. Here 

 however no piper could be had, the district not sup- 

 porting one, and his place was therefore filled by a 

 self-taught youthful fiddler, whose physiognomy, most 

 expressive of musical taste, was not belied by the skill 

 with which he drew the tones from his crazy in- 

 strument. No sooner did Willy commence scraping at 

 his chords than there was a general rush towards 

 the ladies ; all however by tacit consent fell back save 

 two, who were allowed to draw their partners from the 

 assembled fair. And the four taking their stand in the 

 centre of the room, music struck up and dancing 

 began. The exact uniformity of time kept by all was 

 most remarkable. Though going through their various 

 steps with the most scrupulous care, all seemed to 



