"My present visit to you, madam," said he, "had indeed some reference
to the festivity of to-morrow." Lady Peveril listened, but as her
visitor seemed to find some difficulty in expressing himself, she was
compelled to ask an explanation. "Madam," said the Major, "you are not
perhaps entirely ignorant that the more tender-conscienced among us
have scruples at certain practices, so general amongst your people at
times of rejoicing, that you may be said to insist upon them as
articles of faith, or at least greatly to resent their omission."

"I trust, Master Bridgenorth," said the Lady Peveril, not fully
comprehending the drift of his discourse, "that we shall, as your
entertainers, carefully avoid all allusions or reproaches founded on
past misunderstanding."

"We would expect no less, madam, from your candour and courtesy," said
Bridgenorth; "but I perceive you do not fully understand me. To be
plain, then, I allude to the fashion of drinking healths, and pledging
each other in draughts of strong liquor, which most among us consider
as a superfluous and sinful provoking of each other to debauchery, and
the excessive use of strong drink; and which, besides, if derived, as
learned divines have supposed, from the custom of the blinded Pagans,
who made libations and invoked idols when they drank, may be justly
said to have something in it heathenish, and allied to demon-worship."

The lady had already hastily considered all the topics which were
likely to introduce discord into the proposed festivity; but this very
ridiculous, yet fatal discrepancy, betwixt the manners of the parties
on convivial occasions, had entirely escaped her. She endeavoured to
soothe the objecting party, whose brows were knit like one who had
fixed an opinion by which he was determined to abide.