A Betrothal

"We have been to a ball, of which I must give you a description.
Last Tuesday we had just done dinner at about seven, and stepped out
into the balcony to look at the remains of the sunset behind the
mountains, when we heard very distinctly a band of music, which
rather excited my astonishment, as a solitary organ is the utmost
that toils up here. I went out of the room for a few minutes, and,
on my returning, Emily said, 'Oh! That band is playing at the
farmer's near here. The daughter is fiancee to-day, and they have a
ball.' I said, 'I wish I was going!' 'Well,' replied she, 'the
farmer's wife did call to invite us.' 'Then I shall certainly go,'
I exclaimed. I applied to Madame B., who said she would like it
very much, and we had better go, children and all. Some of the
servants were already gone. We rushed away to put on some shawls,
and put off any shred of black we might have about us (as the people
would have been quite annoyed if we had appeared on such an occasion
with any black), and we started. When we reached the farmer's,
which is a stone's throw above our house, we were received with
great enthusiasm; the only drawback being, that no one spoke French,
and we did not yet speak Piedmontese. We were placed on a bench
against the wall, and the people went on dancing. The room was a
large whitewashed kitchen (I suppose), with several large pictures
in black frames, and very smoky. I distinguished the Martyrdom of
Saint Sebastian, and the others appeared equally lively and
appropriate subjects. Whether they were Old Masters or not, and if
so, by whom, I could not ascertain. The band were seated opposite
us. Five men, with wind instruments, part of the band of the
National Guard, to which the farmer's sons belong. They played
really admirably, and I began to be afraid that some idea of our
dignity would prevent me getting a partner; so, by Madame B.'s
advice, I went up to the bride, and offered to dance with her. Such
a handsome young woman! Like one of Uwins's pictures. Very dark,
with a quantity of black hair, and on an immense scale. The
children were already dancing, as well as the maids. After we came
to an end of our dance, which was what they called a Polka-Mazourka,
I saw the bride trying to screw up the courage of her fiance to ask
me to dance, which after a little hesitation he did. And admirably
he danced, as indeed they all did--in excellent time, and with a
little more spirit than one sees in a ball-room. In fact, they were
very like one's ordinary partners, except that they wore earrings
and were in their shirt-sleeves, and truth compels me to state that
they decidedly smelt of garlic. Some of them had been smoking, but
threw away their cigars when we came in. The only thing that