Insteadofbeingconductedbyfourmen，ashadhappenedwhentheywentoutofthevillage，thehorsesandcartswerenowaccompaniedbyabodyoffromtwentytothirty，allofwhom，asStockdaleperceivedtohisastonishment，hadblackenedfaces。Amongthemwalkedsixoreighthugefemalefigures，whom，fromtheirwidestrides，Stockdaleguessedtobemenindisguise。AssoonasthepartydiscernedLizzyandhercompanionfourorfivefellback，andwhenthecartshadpassed，cameclosetothepair。
’Thereisnowalkingupthiswayforthepresent，’saidoneofthegauntwomen，whoworecurlsafootlong，danglingdownthesidesofherface，inthefashionofthetime。Stockdalerecognizedthislady’svoiceasOwlett’s。
’Whynot？’saidStockdale。’Thisisthepublichighway。’
’Nowlookhere，youngster，’saidOwlett。’O，’tistheMethodistparson！——what，andMrs。Newberry！Well，you’dbetternotgoupthatway，Lizzy。They’veallrunoff，andfolkshavegottheirownagain。’
Themillerthenhastenedonandjoinedhiscomrades。StockdaleandLizzyalsoturnedback。’Iwishallthishadn’tbeenforceduponus，’shesaidregretfully。’Butifthoseexcisemenhadgotoffwiththetubs，halfthepeopleintheparishwouldhavebeeninwantforthenextmonthortwo。’