Before they are finally placed in position the cheeses are liberally greased, until they glow and glitter like orange fires.

All the afternoon the boats come in, with their collections from the various dairies on the water.

By road also come cheeses in wagons of light polished wood painted blue within; and all the while the carillon of the beautiful grave Weigh House is ringing out its little tunes--the wedding march from "Lohengrin" among them--and the little mechanical horsemen are charging in the tourney to the blast of the little mechanical trumpeter.

At one o'clock they run only a single course; but at noon the glories of Ashby-de-la-Zouche are enacted.
By nine o'clock on the Friday morning the market square is covered with rectangular yellow heaps arranged with Dutch systematic order and symmetry, many of them protected by tarpaulins, and the square is filled also with phlegmatic sellers and buyers, smoking, smoking, unceasingly smoking, and discussing the weather and the cheese, the cheese and the Government.
Not till ten may business begin.

Instantly the first stroke of ten sounds the aspect of the place is changed.