There stood her glass, and the romantic teaspoonful of elder wine at the bottom that she couldn't drink by trying ever so hard, in obedience to the mighty arguments of the tranter (his hand coming down upon her shoulder the while, like a Nasmyth hammer); but the drinker was there no longer.

There were the nine or ten pretty little crumbs she had left on her plate; but the eater was no more seen.
There seemed a disagreeable closeness of relationship between himself and the members of his family, now that they were left alone again face to face.

His father seemed quite offensive for appearing to be in just as high spirits as when the guests were there; and as for grandfather James (who had not yet left), he was quite fiendish in being rather glad they were gone.
"Really," said the tranter, in a tone of placid satisfaction, "I've had so little time to attend to myself all the evenen, that I mean to enjoy a quiet meal now! A slice of this here ham--neither too fat nor too lean--so; and then a drop of this vinegar and pickles--there, that's it--and I shall be as fresh as a lark again! And to tell the truth, my sonny, my inside has been as dry as a lime-basket all night." "I like a party very well once in a while," said Mrs.Dewy, leaving off the adorned tones she had been bound to use throughout the evening, and returning to the natural marriage voice; "but, Lord, 'tis such a sight of heavy work next day! What with the dirty plates, and knives and forks, and dust and smother, and bits kicked off your furniture, and I don't know what all, why a body could a'most wish there were no such things as Christmases.

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