irited and enticing brightness upon
the fantastic figures of the mumming band, whose plumes and ribbons
rustled in their walk like autumn leaves. Their path was not over
Rainbarrow now, but down a valley which left that ancient elevation
a little to the east. The bottom of the vale was green to a width of
ten yards or thereabouts, and the shining facets of frost upon the
blades of grass seemed to move on with the shadows of those they
surrounded. The masses of furze and heath to the right and left were
dark as ever; a mere half-moon was powerless to silver such sable
features as theirs.

Half-an-hour of walking and talking brought them to the spot in the
valley where the grass riband widened and led down to the front of
the house. At sight of the place Eustacia, who had felt a few passing
doubts during her walk with the youths, again was glad that the
adventure had been undertaken. She had come out to see a man who
might possibly have the power to deliver her soul from a most deadly
oppression. What was Wildeve? Interesting, but inadequate. Perhaps
she would see a sufficient hero tonight.

As they drew nearer to the front of the house the mummers became aware
that music and dancing were briskly flourishing within. Every now
and then a long low note from the serpent, which was the chief wind
instrument played at these times, advanced further into the heath than
the thin treble part, and reached their ears alone; and next a more
than usually loud tread from a dancer would come the same way. With
nearer approach these fragmentary sounds became pieced together,
and were found to be the salient points of the tune called "Nancy's
Fancy."

He was there, of course. Who was she that he danced with? Perhaps
some unknown woman, far beneath herself in culture, was by that most
subtle of lures sealing his fate this very instant. To dance with a
man is to concentrate a twelve-month's regulation fire upon him in the
fragment of an hour. To pass to courtship without acquaintance, to
pass to marriage without courtship, is a skipping of terms reserved
for those alone who tread this royal road. She would see how his heart
lay by keen observation of them all.

The enterprising lady followed the mumming company through the gate
in the white paling, and stood before the open porch. The house was
encrusted with heavy thatchings, which dropped between the upper
windows; the front, upon which the moonbeams directly played, had
originally