Thomas Hardy

“ The six Carriford men are the well-known ringers of the fine-toned old bells in the key of F, which have been music to the ears of Carriford parish and the outlying districts for the last four hundred years. The stranger is an assistant, who has appeared from nobody knows where.
The six natives--in their shirt-sleeves, and without hats--pull and catch frantically at the dancing bellropes, the locks of their hair waving in the breeze created by their quick motions; the stranger, who has the treble bell, does likewise, but in his right mind and coat. ”

“ Deep? she was as deep as the North Star. She bequeathed all her property, real and personal, to "THE WIFE OF AENEAS MANSTON" (with one exception) : failen her life to her husband: failen his life to the heirs of his head--body I would say: failen them to her absolutely and her heirs for ever: failen these to Pa'son Raunham, and so on to the end o' the human race. Now do you see the depth of her scheme? Why, although upon the surface it appeared her whole property was for Miss Cytherea, by the word "wife" being used, and not Cytherea's name, whoever was the wife o' Manston would come in for't. ”

“ A young lithe woman in an airy fairy dress--Cytherea Springrove: a young man in black stereotype raiment--Edward, her husband.
They stood at the top of the steps together, looking at the moon, the water, and the general loveliness of the prospect.
'That's the married man and wife--there, I've illustrated my story by rale liven specimens,' the clerk whispered.
'To be sure, how close together they do stand! You couldn' slip a penny-piece between 'em--that you couldn'! Beautiful to see it, isn't it--beautiful! . . . ”