Then they played hide-and-go-seek in the hay country, and after that Blind Man's Buff in the barn below. The little girl was Blind Man first. They tied a red handkerchief tight over her eyes. Then they ran about, dodging her, calling her, laughing at her groping hands and hesitating steps. But after a few minutes she became accustomed to the darkness and ran and jumped about after them until they had to be very wary and swift indeed. Soon she caught Eric and then he was Blind Man. By and by they played tag, just plain tag, and Eric liked that best of all. Back and forth across the great room they raced,--up the ladder, over the hay, through the hole into the stable, round and round, in and out, up and down until they were too tired and hot for any more. Then they lay up in the hay where there was a little window, looking far out across the meadows. Eric saw Ivra out there in the first field, wandering around alone and now and then looking up at the barn. She must have heard their shouts and laughter. He pointed her out to the other children. "That is my playmate out there," he said. "Let's open the window and call to her to come up. She'll tell us stories." The children looked out eagerly. "But there's nobody there," they said. Eric laughed. "No, look!" He pointed with his finger. "Over there by the white birch. Look! She sees us." He waved. "Quick, help me open the window." He could not find the catch. The window was draped with cobwebs and dusty with the dust of years. It looked as though it had never been opened. The little red-headed girl put her hand on his arm. She was laughing. "Don't be silly," she said. "There's no one by the white birch. You're imagining." "Why, look! Of course she's there!" Eric was impatient. "She's moving now, waving to us. Of course you see her!" "Yes," said the jolliest of the boys. "We do see it--faintly. We've seen it before too,--a kind of a shadow on the snow. But father says it's nothing to mind. Imaginings. Nothing real, just spots in our eyes or something." Then Eric remembered all that Ivra had told him. She was half fairy. People could see her if they looked hard enough. But they were not apt to believe their own eyes when they had looked. That was dreadful for her. She had not said so, but he had guessed it from her face when she told him. Well, well, now he understood a little better. These were Earth Children, with shadows in their eyes. Ivra could never be their playmate. But _he_ could see her well enough because his eyes were clear. And presently he would run out to her and they would go home together. But just now it was jolly and cozy here in the barn, and these Earth Children were good fun. He hoped she would wait for him, but if she did not he would find his way alone easily enough. "You don't really believe in it, do you?" the red-headed girl was asking. "If you do,--better not. Grown-ups will laugh at you."