y, one of them being Festus. They were drinking, laughing,
singing, thumping their fists on the tables, and enjoying themselves in
the very perfection of confusion. The candles, blown by the breeze from
the partly opened window, had guttered into coffin handles and shrouds,
and, choked by their long black wicks for want of snuffing, gave out a
smoky yellow light. One of the young men might possibly have been in a
maudlin state, for he had his arm round the neck of his next neighbour.
Another was making an incoherent speech to which nobody was listening.
Some of their faces were red, some were sallow; some were sleepy, some
wide awake. The only one among them who appeared in his usual frame of
mind was Festus, whose huge, burly form rose at the head of the table,
enjoying with a serene and triumphant aspect the difference between his
own condition and that of his neighbours. While the trumpet-major
looked, a young woman, niece of Anthony Cripplestraw, and one of Uncle
Benjy's servants, was called in by one of the crew, and much against her
will a fiddle was placed in her hands, from which they made her produce
discordant screeches.

The absence of Uncle Benjy had, in fact, been contrived by young Derriman
that he might make use of the hall on his own account. Cripplestraw had
been left in charge, and Festus had found no difficulty in forcing from
that dependent the keys of whatever he required. John Loveday turned his
eyes from the scene to the neighbouring moonlit path, where Anne still
stood waiting. Then he looked into the room, then at Anne again. It was
an opportunity of advancing his own cause with her by exposing Festus,
for whom he began to entertain hostile feelings of no mean force.

'No; I can't do it,' he said. ''Tis underhand. Let things take their
chance.'

He moved away, and then perceived that Anne, tired of waiting, had
crossed the stream, and almost come up with him.

'What is the noise about?' she said.

'There's company in the house,' said Loveday.

'Company? Farmer Derriman is not at home,' said Anne, and went on to the
window whence the rays of light leaked out, the trumpet-major standing
where he was. He saw her face enter the beam of candlelight, stay there
for a moment, and quickly withdraw. She came back to him at once. 'Let
us go on,' she said.

Loveday imagined from her tone that she must have an interest in
Derriman, and said sadly, 'You blame me for going across to the