Jock Miggs shook his head with a determined air. "Nay! your madness is nought to me. You’ve paid for a tune, and you shall have the tune. But, Lordy! Lordy! these be ’mazing times." He settled himself down on a clump of grass-covered earth, and stolidly began piping the same old-time rigadoon. These were a pair of lunatics, for sure, but since the gentleman had paid for this extraordinary pleasure, ’twas not for a poor shepherd to refuse to earn a few honest guineas. Beau Brocade bowed to his lady with all the courtly grace of a town gallant. "Madam! your most humble, and most obedient servant." As in a dream Patience began to tread the measure. It was all so strange, so unreal! surely this was a dream, and she would wake anon. She turned and twisted in the mazes of the dance, gradually the intoxication of it all had reached her brain; she seemed to see round her in the grass pixie faces gazing curiously upon her. All the harebells seemed to tinkle, the shepherd’s pipe sounded like fairy bells. Through the holes in the black mask she could see a pair of burning eyes watching her as if entranced. She felt like a creature of some other world, a witch mayhap, dancing a wild saraband with this man, her lord and master, a mad, merry sprite who had arranged this moonlight Sabbath. Her cheeks began to glow, her eyes were sparkling with the joy of this dance. Her breath came panting through her parted lips. Aye! mad were they both! what else? Their madness was the intoxication which man alone can feel when his joy equals that of the gods! Quicker, shepherd! quicker! let thy pipe wake all the fairy echoes of this mystic, ghostlike Moor! Let all the ghouls and gnomes come running hither, let the stars pale with envy, let fairies and sprites clap their hands for joy, since one man in all this world was happier than all the spirits in heaven! How long it lasted neither of them could tell. The honey-coloured moon lighted them all the while, the blue mist wrapped them as in a mystic veil. Still they danced on; at times she almost lay in his arms, hot, panting, yet never weary, then she would slip away, and with eyes aglow, cheeks in rosy flame, beckon to him, evade, advance, then once more put her hand in his and madden him with the touch. Oh! that heaven-born hour! why did it ever cease? A wild shriek, twice repeated, brought them both to a standstill. She, with heart beating, and hand pressed to her panting bosom, was unable to stir. Whilst the excitement kept her up she had danced, but now, with that piercing shriek, the dream had vanished and she was back on earth once more. "What was that?"