while the Hall should be occupied by the jovial Cavaliers; and that
each party should regulate their potations after their own conscience,
or after their own fashion.

Major Bridgenorth himself seemed greatly relieved after this important
matter had been settled. He had held it matter of conscience to be
stubborn in maintaining his own opinion, but was heartily glad when he
escaped from the apparently inevitable necessity of affronting Lady
Peveril by the refusal of her invitation. He remained longer than
usual, and spoke and smiled more than was his custom. His first care
on his return was to announce to the clergyman and his congregation
the compromise which he had made, and this not as a matter for
deliberation, but one upon which he had already resolved; and such was
his authority among them, that though the preacher longed to pronounce
a separation of the parties, and to exclaim--"To your tents, O
Israel!" he did not see the chance of being seconded by so many, as
would make it worth while to disturb the unanimous acquiescence in
their delegate's proposal.

Nevertheless, each party being put upon the alert by the consequences
of Major Bridgenorth's embassy, so many points of doubt and delicate
discussion were started in succession, that the Lady Peveril, the only
person, perhaps, who was desirous of achieving an effectual
reconciliation between them, incurred, in reward for her good
intentions, the censure of both factions, and had much reason to
regret her well-meant project of bringing the Capulets and Montagues
of Derbyshire together on the same occasion of public festivity.

As it was now settled that the guests were to form two different
parties, it became not only a subject of dispute betwixt themselves,