"Like sweet bells jangled, out of tune, and harsh."
But the fault was ever less in the Bells than in the Bell-ringers. Cracked were they not, nor were they cacophonous; let their clappers swing free, and keep their throats unrusted and unclogged, and in skilled, and loyal, and well-conducted hands, they would ever sound out strongly and sweetly, and send forth on and against the wildest and angriest of the winds aforesaid, most excellent and inspiring music.
_Toby_ knew them well, those Bells, as did his great and genial Master. _Toby_ was not a canine casuist. Being but a simple and loyal dog, he invested them with a strange and solemn character. They were so mysterious and mighty; often heard, and never seen; so high up, so far off, and so full of such a deep, strong melody, that he regarded them with a species of awe; and sometimes when he looked up at the dark arched windows in the tower, he half expected to be beckoned to by something which was not a Bell, and yet was what he had heard so often sounding in the Tower, the Spirit, namely, of Loyalty and Love, of Honour and of Home. For all this, _Toby_ scouted with doggish disdain--being, like his Master, as sensible as loyal--a certain occasionally flying rumour that the Chimes were haunted, as implying the possibility of their being connected with any Evil thing. And _Toby_--no unlicked cub, but a considerate, composed old dog,--never puppyishly barked at the Bells. He would as soon have thought of baying the moon.
But he often had occasion to yap, warningly or reprovingly, at the Bell-ringers!
Bow-wow-wow! It was the voice of _Toby_. It meant not, this time, either warning or reproof; rather amicable acknowledgment, and just a little surprise. Not fear, oh, no! not fear.
A Voice--was it a vision-voice, or the accents of the biggest of the Bells, or was it, perchance, the veritable Voice of Time himself, naturally and fitly vocal and audible at this particular Season?--sounded strangely through the shadowy belfry. Thus it seemed to speak, in words curiously pertinent to the moment, though _Toby_ seemed to have heard them before in other connection and in other circumstances.
MR. PUNCH. "NOW THEN, MY LADS! ALL TOGETHER FOR ONCE!--CHRISTMAS TIME, YOU KNOW!!"]