IttranspiredthatthelucklessdesertersfromtheYorkHussarshadcuttheboatfromhermooringsintheadjacentharbour，accordingtotheirplan，and，withtwoothercomradeswhoweresmartingunderill-
treatmentfromtheircolonel，hadsailedinsafetyacrosstheChannel。ButmistakingtheirbearingstheysteeredintoJersey，thinkingthatislandtheFrenchcoast。Heretheywereperceivedtobedeserters，anddelivereduptotheauthorities。MatthausandChristophintercededfortheothertwoatthecourt-martial，sayingthatitwasentirelybytheformer’srepresentationsthatthesewereinducedtogo。Theirsentencewasaccordinglycommutedtoflogging，thedeathpunishmentbeingreservedfortheirleaders。
Thevisitortothewell-knownoldGeorgianwatering-place，whomaycaretorambletotheneighbouringvillageunderthehills，andexaminetheregisterofburials，willtherefindtwoentriesinthesewords：-
’Matth：-TinaCorpl。inHisMajesty’sRegmt。ofYorkHussars，andShotforDesertion，wasBuriedJune30th，1801，aged22years。BorninthetownofSarrbruk，Germany。
’ChristophBless，belongingtoHisMajesty’sRegmt。ofYorkHussars，whowasShotforDesertion，wasBuriedJune30th，1801，aged22
years。BornatLothaargen，Alsatia。’
Theirgravesweredugatthebackofthelittlechurch，nearthewall。Thereisnomemorialtomarkthespot，butPhyllispointeditouttome。Whileshelivedsheusedtokeeptheirmoundsneat；butnowtheyareovergrownwithnettles，andsunknearlyflat。Theoldervillagers，however，whoknowoftheepisodefromtheirparents，stillrecollecttheplacewherethesoldierslie。Phyllisliesnear。
’TalkingofExhibitions，World’sFairs，andwhatnot，’saidtheoldgentleman，’Iwouldnotgoroundthecornertoseeadozenofthemnowadays。Theonlyexhibitionthatevermade，oreverwillmake，anyimpressionuponmyimaginationwasthefirstoftheseries，theparentofthemall，andnowathingofoldtimes——theGreatExhibitionof1851，inHydePark，London。Noneoftheyoungergenerationcanrealizethesenseofnoveltyitproducedinuswhoweretheninourprime。Anounsubstantivewentsofarastobecomeanadjectiveinhonouroftheoccasion。Itwas“exhibition“hat，“
“exhibition“razor-strop，“exhibition“watch；nay，even“exhibition“
weather，“exhibition“spirits，sweethearts，babies，wives——forthetime。
’ForSouthWessex，theyearformedinmanywaysanextraordinarychronologicalfrontierortransit-line，atwhichthereoccurredwhatonemightcallaprecipiceinTime。Asinageological“fault，“wehadpresentedtousasuddenbringingofancientandmodernintoabsolutecontact，suchasprobablyinnoothersingleyearsincetheConquestwaseverwitnessedinthispartofthecountry。’
Theseobservationsledusonwardtotalkofthedifferentpersonages，gentleandsimple，wholivedandmovedwithinournarrowandpeacefulhorizonatthattime；andofthreepeopleinparticular，whosequeerlittlehistorywasoddlytouchedatpointsbytheExhibition，moreconcernedwithitthanthatofanybodyelsewhodweltinthoseoutlyingshadesoftheworld，Stickleford，Mellstock，andEgdon。
FirstinprominenceamongthesethreecameWatOllamoor——ifthatwerehisrealname——whomtheseniorsinourpartyhadknownwell。
Hewasawoman’sman，theysaid，——supremelyso——externallylittleelse。Tomenbewasnotattractive；perhapsalittlerepulsiveattimes。Musician，dandy，andcompany-maninpractice；veterinarysurgeonintheory，helodgedawhileinMellstockvillage，comingfromnobodyknewwhere；thoughsomesaidhisfirstappearanceinthisneighbourhoodhadbeenasfiddle-playerinashowatGreenhillFair。
Manyaworthyvillagerenviedhimhispoweroverunsophisticatedmaidenhood——apowerwhichseemedsometimestohaveatouchoftheweirdandwizardlyinit。Personallyhewasnotill-favoured，thoughratherun-English，hiscomplexionbeingaricholive，hisrankhairdarkandratherclammy——madestillclammierbysecretointments，which，whenhecamefreshtoaparty，causedhimtosmelllike’boys’-love’southernwoodsteepedinlamp-oil。Onoccasionheworecurls——adoublerow——runningalmosthorizontallyaroundhishead。
Butastheseweresometimesnoticeablyabsent，itwasconcludedthattheywerenotaltogetherofNature’smaking。Bygirlswhoseloveforhimhadturnedtohatredhehadbeennicknamed’Mop，’fromthisabundanceofhair，whichwaslongenoughtorestuponhisshoulders；
astimepassedthenamemoreandmoreprevailed。
Hisfiddlingpossiblyhadthemosttodowiththefascinationheexercised，for，tospeakfairly，itcouldclaimforitselfamostpeculiarandpersonalquality，likethatinamovingpreacher。Thereweretonesinitwhichbredtheimmediateconvictionthatindolenceandaversenesstosystematicapplicationwereallthatlaybetween’Mop’andthecareerofasecondPaganini。
Whileplayingheinvariablyclosedhiseyes；usingnonotes，and，asitwere，allowingtheviolintowanderonatwillintothemostplaintivepassageseverheardbyrusticman。Therewasacertainlingualcharacterinthesupplicatoryexpressionsheproduced，whichwouldwellnighhavedrawnanachefromtheheartofagate-post。Hecouldmakeanychildintheparish，whowasatallsensitivetomusic，burstintotearsinafewminutesbysimplyfiddlingoneoftheolddance-tuneshealmostentirelyaffected——countryjigs，reels，and’FavouriteQuickSteps’ofthelastcentury——somemutilatedremainsofwhichevennowreappearasnamelessphantomsinnewquadrillesandgallops，wheretheyarerecognizedonlybythecurious，orbysuchold-fashionedandfar-betweenpeopleashavebeenthrownwithmenlikeWatOllamoorintheirearlylife。
HisdatewasalittlelaterthanthatoftheoldMellstockquire-bandwhichcomprisedtheDewys，Mail，andtherest——infact，hedidnotriseabovethehorizonthereabouttillthosewell-knownmusiciansweredisbandedasecclesiasticalfunctionaries。Intheirhonestloveofthoroughnesstheydespisedthenewman’sstyle。TheophilusDewyReubenthetranter’syoungerbrotherusedtosaytherewasno’plumness’init——nobowing，nosolidity——itwasallfantastical。
Andprobablythiswastrue。Anyhow，Mophad，veryobviously，neverbowedanoteofchurch-musicfromhisbirth；heneveroncesatinthegalleryofMellstockchurchwheretheothershadtunedtheirvenerablepsalmodysomanyhundredsoftimes；hadnever，inalllikelihood，enteredachurchatall。Allweredevil’stunesinhisrepertory。’HecouldnomoreplaytheWoldHundredthtohistruetimethanhecouldplaythebrazenserpent，’thetranterwouldsay。
ThebrazenserpentwassupposedinMellstocktobeamusicalinstrumentparticularlyhardtoblow。
OccasionallyMopcouldproducetheaforesaidmovingeffectuponthesoulsofgrown-uppersons，especiallyyoungwomenoffragileandresponsiveorganization。SuchanonewasCar’lineAspent。Thoughshewasalreadyengagedtobemarriedbeforeshemethim，Car’line，ofthemall，wasthemostinfluencedbyMopOllamoor’sheart-stealingmelodies，toherdiscomfort，nay，positivepainandultimateinjury。
Shewasapretty，invocating，weak-mouthedgirl，whosechiefdefectasacompanionwithhersexwasatendencytopeevishnessnowandthen。AtthistimeshewasnotaresidentinMellstockparishwhereMoplodged，butlivedsomemilesoffatStickleford，fartherdowntheriver。
Howandwhereshefirstmadeacquaintancewithhimandhisfiddlingisnottrulyknown，butthestorywasthatiteitherbeganorwasdevelopedononespringevening，when，inpassingthroughLowerMellstock，shechancedtopauseonthebridgenearhishousetorestherself，andlanguidlyleanedovertheparapet。Mopwasstandingonhisdoor-step，aswashiscustom，spinningtheinsidiousthreadofsemi-anddemi-semi-quaversfromtheEstringofhisfiddleforthebenefitofpassers-by，andlaughingasthetearsrolleddownthecheeksofthelittlechildrenhangingaroundhim。Car’linepretendedtobeengrossedwiththeripplingofthestreamunderthearches，butinrealityshewaslistening，asheknew。Presentlytheachingoftheheartseizedhersimultaneouslywithawilddesiretoglideairilyinthemazesofaninfinitedance。Toshakeoffthefascinationsheresolvedtogoon，althoughitwouldbenecessarytopasshimasheplayed。Onstealthilyglancingaheadattheperformer，shefoundtoherreliefthathiseyeswereclosedinabandonmenttoinstrumentation，andshestrodeonboldly。Butwhencloserherstepgrewtimid，hertreadconvulseditselfmoreandmoreaccordantlywiththetimeofthemelody，tillsheverynearlydancedalong。Gaininganotherglanceathimwhenimmediatelyopposite，shesawthatONEofhiseyeswasopen，quizzingherashesmiledatheremotionalstate。Hergaitcouldnotdivestitselfofitscompelledcaperstillshehadgonealongwaypastthehouse；andCar’linewasunabletoshakeoffthestrangeinfatuationforhours。
Afterthatday，whenevertherewastobeintheneighbourhoodadancetowhichshecouldgetaninvitation，andwhereMopOllamoorwastobethemusician，Car’linecontrivedtobepresent，thoughitsometimesinvolvedawalkofseveralmiles；forhedidnotplaysoofteninSticklefordaselsewhere。
Thenextevidencesofhisinfluenceoverherweresingularenough，anditwouldrequireaneurologisttofullyexplainthem。Shewouldbesittingquietly，anyeveningafterdark，inthehouseofherfather，theparishclerk，whichstoodinthemiddleofSticklefordvillagestreet，thisbeingthehighroadbetweenLowerMellstockandMoreford，fivemileseastward。Here，withoutamoment’swarning，andinthemidstofageneralconversationbetweenherfather，sister，andtheyoungmanbeforealludedto，whodevotedlywooedherinignoranceofherinfatuation，shewouldstartfromherseatinthechimney-cornerasifshehadreceivedagalvanicshock，andspringconvulsivelytowardstheceiling；thenshewouldburstintotears，anditwasnottillsomehalf-hourhadpassedthatshegrewcalmasusual。Herfather，knowingherhystericaltendencies，wasalwaysexcessivelyanxiousaboutthistraitinhisyoungestgirl，andfearedtheattacktobeaspeciesofepilepticfit。NotsohersisterJulia。JuliahadfoundOutwhatwasthecause。Atthemomentbeforethejumping，onlyanexceptionallysensitiveearsituatedinthechimney-nookcouldhavecaughtfromdownthefluethebeatofaman’sfootstepalongthehighwaywithout。Butitwasinthatfootfall，forwhichshehadbeenwaiting，thattheoriginofCar’line’sinvoluntaryspringinglay。ThepedestrianwasMopOllamoor，asthegirlwellknew；buthisbusinessthatwaywasnottovisither；hesoughtanotherwomanwhomhespokeofashisIntended，andwholivedatMoreford，twomilesfartheron。Onone，andonlyone，occasiondidithappenthatCar’linecouldnotcontrolherutterance；itwaswhenhersisteralonechancedtobepresent。’Oh——oh——oh——!’shecried。
’He’sgoingtoHER，andnotcomingtoME!’
Todothefiddlerjusticehehadnotatfirstthoughtgreatlyof，orspokenmuchto，thisgirlofimpressionablemould。Buthehadsoonfoundouthersecret，andcouldnotresistalittleby-playwithhertooeasilyhurtheart，asaninterludebetweenhismoreseriousperformancesatMoreford。Thetwobecamewellacquainted，thoughonlybystealth，hardlyasoulinSticklefordexcepthersister，andherloverNedHipcroft，beingawareoftheattachment。HerfatherdisapprovedofhercoldnesstoNed；hersister，too，hopedshemightgetoverthisnervouspassionforamanofwhomsolittlewasknown。
TheultimateresultwasthatCar’line’smanlyandsimplewooerEdwardfoundhissuitbecomingpracticallyhopeless。Hewasarespectablemechanic，inafarsounderpositionthanMopthenominalhorse-
doctor；butwhen，beforeleavingher，Nedputhisflatandfinalquestion，wouldshemarryhim，thenandthere，nowornever，itwaswithlittleexpectationofobtainingmorethanthenegativeshegavehim。Thoughherfathersupportedhimandhersistersupportedhim，hecouldnotplaythefiddlesoastodrawyoursouloutofyourbodylikeaspider’sthread，asMopdid，tillyoufeltaslimpaswithy-
windandyearnedforsomethingtoclingto。Indeed，Hipcrofthadnottheslightestearformusic；couldnotsingtwonotesintune，muchlessplaythem。
TheNohehadexpectedandgotfromher，inspiteofapreliminaryencouragement，gaveNedanewstartinlife。Ithadbeenutteredinsuchatoneofsadentreatythatheresolvedtopersecutehernomore；sheshouldnotevenbedistressedbyasightofhisforminthedistantperspectiveofthestreetandlane。Helefttheplace，andhisnaturalcoursewastoLondon。
TherailwaytoSouthWessexwasinprocessofconstruction，butitwasnotasyetopenedfortraffic；andHipcroftreachedthecapitalbyasixdays’trudgeonfoot，asmanyabettermanhaddonebeforehim。Hewasoneofthelastoftheartisanclasswhousedthatnowextinctmethodoftraveltothegreatcentresoflabour，socustomarythenfromtimeimmemorial。