ssed, the faces or the hands. They danced excellently
well, as to the manner born, tripping in and out among the shadows, with
occasional stamping, in time to the music, and now and again that wild
Celtic shout or cry that sets the nerves athrill. In spite of the whole
scene's being enacted in a low key, it seemed only to gain in intensity
from that circumstance, and in fantastic effect.

Among the dancers was one who danced with peculiar spirit and brilliancy,
and her little cry had a ring and a wildness that never failed to set the
others going with new inspiration.

She was a slight, dark-haired girl, with a pale, rather mysterious face,
and large eyes. Not a word was spoken, and the reel went on for nearly
ten minutes. At length the girl with the dark hair gave a final shout,
and broke away from the circle.

With her desertion the dance flagged, and presently came to an end. The
first breaking of the silence gave a slight shock, in spite of the
subdued tones of the speaker.

"It is no use trying to dance a reel without Hadria," said a tall youth,
evidently her brother, if one might judge from his almost southern
colouring and melancholy eyes. In build and feature he resembled the
elder sister, Algitha, who had all the characteristics of a fine
northern race.

"Old Maggie said the other day, that Hadria's dancing of the reel was no
'right canny,'" Algitha observed, in the same low tone that all the
occupants of the garret instinctively adopted.

"Ah!" cried Fred, "old Maggie has always looked upon Hadria as half
bewitched since that night when she found her here 'a wee bit bairn,' as
she says, at this very window, in her nightshirt, standing on tiptoe to
see the moonlight."

"It frightened the poor old thing out of her wits, of course," said
Algitha, who was leaning with crossed arms, in a corner of the deep-set
window. The fine outlines of face and form were shewn in the strange
light, as in a boldly-executed sketch, without detail. Pride and
determination were the dominant qualities so indicated. Her sister
stood opposite, the moonshine making the smooth pallor of her face
more striking, and emphasizing its mysterious quality.

The whole group of young faces, crowded together by the window, and lit
up by the unsympathetic light, had something characteristic and unusual
in its aspect, that might have excited curiosity.

"Tell us the story of the garret, Hadria," said Austin, the youngest
brother, a handso