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Fiftyyearsagosuchalonelycottagestoodonsuchadown,andmaypossiblybestandingtherenow.Inspiteofitsloneliness,however,thespot,byactualmeasurement,wasnotmorethanfivemilesfromacounty-town.Yetthataffecteditlittle.Fivemilesofirregularupland,duringthelonginimicalseasons,withtheirsleets,snows,rains,andmists,affordwithdrawingspaceenoughtoisolateaTimonoraNebuchadnezzar;

muchless,infairweather,topleasethatlessrepellenttribe,thepoets,philosophers,artists,andotherswho'

conceiveandmeditateofpleasantthings.'

Someoldearthencamporbarrow,someclumpoftrees,atleastsomestarvedfragmentofancienthedgeisusuallytakenadvantageofintheerectionoftheseforlorndwellings.But,inthepresentcase,suchakindofshelterhadbeendisregarded.HigherCrowstairs,asthehousewascalled,stoodquitedetachedandundefended.Theonlyreasonforitsprecisesituationseemedtobethecrossingoftwofootpathsatrightangleshardby,whichmayhavecrossedthereandthusforagoodfivehundredyears.Hencethehousewasexposedtotheelementsonallsides.But,thoughthewinduphereblewunmistakablywhenitdidblow,andtherainhithardwheneveritfell,thevariousweathersofthewinterseasonwerenotquitesoformidableonthecoombastheywereimaginedtobebydwellersonlowground.Therawrimeswerenotsoperniciousasinthehollows,andthefrostswerescarcelysosevere.Whentheshepherdandhisfamilywhotenantedthehousewerepitiedfortheirsufferingsfromtheexposure,theysaidthatuponthewholetheywerelessinconveniencedby'

wuzzesandflames'

（hoarsesandphlegms）thanwhentheyhadlivedbythestreamofasnugneighbouringvalley.

ThenightofMarch28,182-,waspreciselyoneofthenightsthatwerewonttocallforththeseexpressionsofcommiseration.Thelevelrainstormsmotewalls,slopes,andhedgesliketheclothyardshaftsofSenlacandCrecy.Suchsheepandoutdooranimalsashadnoshelterstoodwiththeirbuttockstothewinds;

whilethetailsoflittlebirdstryingtoroostonsomescraggythornwereblowninside-outlikeumbrellas.Thegable-endofthecottagewasstainedwithwet,andtheeavesdroppingsflappedagainstthewall.Yetneverwascommiserationfortheshepherdmoremisplaced.Forthatcheerfulrusticwasentertainingalargepartyinglorificationofthechristeningofhissecondgirl.

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Theguestshadarrivedbeforetherainbegantofall,andtheywereallnowassembledinthechieforlivingroomofthedwelling.Aglanceintotheapartmentateighto'

clockonthiseventfuleveningwouldhaveresultedintheopinionthatitwasascosyandcomfortableanookascouldbewishedforinboisterousweather.Thecallingofitsinhabitantwasproclaimedbyanumberofhighly-polishedsheep-crookswithoutstemsthatwerehungornamentallyoverthefireplace,thecurlofeachshiningcrookvaryingfromtheantiquatedtypeengravedinthepatriarchalpicturesofoldfamilyBiblestothemostapprovedfashionofthelastlocalsheep-fair.Theroomwaslightedbyhalf-a-dozencandles,havingwicksonlyatriflesmallerthanthegreasewhichenvelopedthem,incandlesticksthatwereneverusedbutathigh-days,holy-days,andfamilyfeasts.Thelightswerescatteredabouttheroom,twoofthemstandingonthechimney-piece.Thispositionofcandleswasinitselfsignificant.Candlesonthechimney-piecealwaysmeantaparty.

Onthehearth,infrontofaback-brandtogivesubstance,blazedafireofthorns,thatcrackled'

likethelaughterofthefool.'

Nineteenpersonsweregatheredhere.Ofthese,fivewomen,wearinggownsofvariousbrighthues,satinchairsalongthewall;

girlsshyandnotshyfilledthewindow-bench;

fourmen,includingCharleyJakethehedge-carpenter,ElijahNewtheparish-clerk,andJohnPitcher,aneighbouringdairyman,theshepherd'

sfather-in-law,lolledinthesettle;

ayoungmanandmaid,whowereblushingovertentativepourparlersonalife-companionship,satbeneaththecorner-cupboard;

andanelderlyengagedmanoffiftyorupwardmovedrestlesslyaboutfromspotswherehisbetrothedwasnottothespotwhereshewas.Enjoymentwasprettygeneral,andsomuchthemoreprevailedinbeingunhamperedbyconventionalrestrictions.Absoluteconfidenceineachother'

sgoodopinionbegatperfectease,whilethefinishingstrokeofmanner,amountingtoatrulyprincelyserenity,waslenttothemajoritybytheabsenceofanyexpressionortraitdenotingthattheywishedtogetonintheworld,enlargetheirminds,ordoanyeclipsingthingwhatever--whichnowadayssogenerallynipsthebloomandbonhomieofallexceptthetwoextremesofthesocialscale.

ShepherdFennelhadmarriedwell,hiswifebeingadairyman'

sdaughterfromavaleatadistance,whobroughtfiftyguineasinherpocket--andkeptthemthere,tilltheyshouldberequiredforministeringtotheneedsofacomingfamily.Thisfrugalwomanhadbeensomewhatexercisedastothecharacterthatshouldbegiventothegathering.Asit-stillpartyhaditsadvantages;

butanundisturbedpositionofeaseinchairsandsettleswasapttoleadonthementosuchanunconscionabledealoftopingthattheywouldsometimesfairlydrinkthehousedry.Adancing-partywasthealternative;

butthis,whileavoidingtheforegoingobjectiononthescoreofgooddrink,hadacounterbalancingdisadvantageinthematterofgoodvictuals,theravenousappetitesengenderedbytheexercisecausingimmensehavocinthebuttery.ShepherdessFennelfellbackupontheintermediateplanofminglingshortdanceswithshortperiodsoftalkandsinging,soastohinderanyungovernablerageineither.Butthisschemewasentirelyconfinedtoherowngentlemind:

theshepherdhimselfwasinthemoodtoexhibitthemostrecklessphasesofhospitality.

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Thefiddlerwasaboyofthoseparts,abouttwelveyearsofage,whohadawonderfuldexterityinjigsandreels,thoughhisfingersweresosmallandshortastonecessitateaconstantshiftingforthehighnotes,fromwhichhescrambledbacktothefirstpositionwithsoundsnotofunmixedpurityoftone.Atseventheshrilltweedle-deeofthisyoungsterhadbegun,accompaniedbyaboomingground-bassfromElijahNew,theparish-clerk,whohadthoughtfullybroughtwithhimhisfavouritemusicalinstrument,theserpent.Dancingwasinstantaneous,Mrs.Fennelprivatelyenjoiningtheplayersonnoaccounttoletthedanceexceedthelengthofaquarterofanhour.

ButElijahandtheboy,intheexcitementoftheirposition,quiteforgottheinjunction.Moreover,OliverGiles,amanofseventeen,oneofthedancers,whowasenamouredofhispartner,afairgirlofthirty-threerollingyears,hadrecklesslyhandedanewcrown-piecetothemusicians,asabribetokeepgoingaslongastheyhadmuscleandwind.Mrs.Fennel,seeingthesteambegintogenerateonthecountenancesofherguests,crossedoverandtouchedthefiddler'

selbowandputherhandontheserpent'

smouth.Buttheytooknonotice,andfearingshemightlosehercharacterofgenialhostessifsheweretointerferetoomarkedly,sheretiredandsatdownhelpless.Andsothedancewhizzedonwithcumulativefury,theperformersmovingintheirplanet-likecourses,directandretrograde,fromapogeetoperigee,tillthehandofthewell-kickedclockatthebottomoftheroomhadtravelledoverthecircumferenceofanhour.

WhilethesecheerfuleventswereincourseofenactmentwithinFennel'

spastoraldwelling,anincidenthavingconsiderablebearingonthepartyhadoccurredinthegloomynightwithout.Mrs.Fennel'

sconcernaboutthegrowingfiercenessofthedancecorrespondedinpointoftimewiththeascentofahumanfiguretothesolitaryhillofHigherCrowstairsfromthedirectionofthedistanttown.Thispersonagestrodeonthroughtherainwithoutapause,followingthelittle-wornpathwhich,furtheroninitscourse,skirtedtheshepherd'

scottage.

Itwasnearlythetimeoffullmoon,andonthisaccount,thoughtheskywaslinedwithauniformsheetofdrippingcloud,ordinaryobjectsoutofdoorswerereadilyvisible.Thesadwanlightrevealedthelonelypedestriantobeamanofsuppleframe;

hisgaitsuggestedthathehadsomewhatpassedtheperiodofperfectandinstinctiveagility,thoughnotsofarastobeotherwisethanrapidofmotionwhenoccasionrequired.Ataroughguess,hemighthavebeenaboutfortyyearsofage.Heappearedtall,butarecruitingsergeant,orotherpersonaccustomedtothejudgingofmen'

sheightsbytheeye,wouldhavediscernedthatthiswaschieflyowingtohisgauntness,andthathewasnotmorethanfive-feet-eightornine.

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Notwithstandingtheregularityofhistread,therewascautioninit,asinthatofonewhomentallyfeelshisway;

anddespitethefactthatitwasnotablackcoatnoradarkgarmentofanysortthathewore,therewassomethingabouthimwhichsuggestedthathenaturallybelongedtotheblack-coatedtribesofmen.Hisclotheswereoffustian,andhisbootshobnailed,yetinhisprogressheshowednotthemud-accustomedbearingofhobnailedandfustianedpeasantry.

Bythetimethathehadarrivedabreastoftheshepherd'

spremisestherainc