In the middle
stood a fine wether, decorated with a red ribbon, while a glittering
bowl of pewter was on a little table beside him. The band of musicians
headed the procession, followed by the boys and girls in couples, hand
in hand.

[Illustration: The boys and girls in couples, hand in hand.]

At the gate of the yard a clock had been fastened so that it could not
be seen. At the stroke of two the "free dance" began. A march was
played, and the couples walked around the rope in strict order. An
old-fashioned sabre had been stuck into one of the stakes; and whenever
a couple came up to it the man pulled it out and thrust it into the
next stake to which they came. When Florian and Crescence reached the
sword, the former balanced it on his teeth, and thus carried it in
safety to the next station. A general "Look a' there!" was his reward.
Corpse Kitty prophesied that he would win the wether. Thus they all
went round and round, laughing and talking. When Florian took the sword
for the second time, the clock suddenly struck three. A hurrah
resounded on all sides. The rope was torn away, and the wether, the
ribbon, and the bowl were brought to Florian. The girls came up, wished
Crescence joy, and wound the ribbon into her hair. "It's all right
now," said Melchior's Lenore: "you're bound to have each other before
the year's out." Crescence was weeping, however, for her father stood
before her, clenching his fist.

They now followed the band to the inn, where Florian and Crescence
opened the dance.

Buchmaier, the new squire, had revived an ancient custom. Instead of
ordering the beadle or a _gens d'armes_ to keep order during the
dance, he had summoned all the boys who had passed their eighteenth
year to meet on the preceding evening for the purpose of electing two
"dance-boys." Constantine, and Valentine the carpenter's son Xavier,
received the greatest number of votes: the winner of the wether was to
be the third, the squire only stipulating the right of nominating him
in case this good fortune should befall one of the two who had been
elected. Florian now entered upon this office, and was marked, like
his colleagues, with a white ribbon tied round his arm. These three
were made responsible for any disturbances; but no disturbance
occurred,--for people are always easily governed by rulers of their own
selection.

Crescence was overflowing with happiness, and forgot all about the
geometer. None--not even George--coul