violins respectively. The singers consisted of four men and seven boys,
upon whom devolved the task of carrying and attending to the lanterns,
and holding the books open for the players. Directly music was the
theme, old William ever and instinctively came to the front.

"Now mind, neighbours," he said, as they all went out one by one at the
door, he himself holding it ajar and regarding them with a critical face
as they passed, like a shepherd counting out his sheep. "You two counter-
boys, keep your ears open to Michael's fingering, and don't ye go
straying into the treble part along o' Dick and his set, as ye did last
year; and mind this especially when we be in 'Arise, and hail.' Billy
Chimlen, don't you sing quite so raving mad as you fain would; and, all
o' ye, whatever ye do, keep from making a great scuffle on the ground
when we go in at people's gates; but go quietly, so as to strike up all
of a sudden, like spirits."

"Farmer Ledlow's first?"

"Farmer Ledlow's first; the rest as usual."

"And, Voss," said the tranter terminatively, "you keep house here till
about half-past two; then heat the metheglin and cider in the warmer
you'll find turned up upon the copper; and bring it wi' the victuals to
church-hatch, as th'st know."

* * * * *

Just before the clock struck twelve they lighted the lanterns and
started. The moon, in her third quarter, had risen since the snowstorm;
but the dense accumulation of snow-cloud weakened her power to a faint