’A fine thing and a very fine thing—­a most particular fine thing—­choose how she came by it.  What must she do as owns this thing?’

‘She must blow out t’ candle and kiss t’ candlestick.’

In one instant Kinraid had hold of the only candle within reach, all the others had been put up high on inaccessible shelves and other places.  Sylvia went up and blew out the candle, and before the sudden partial darkness was over he had taken the candle into his fingers, and, according to the traditional meaning of the words, was in the place of the candlestick, and as such was to be kissed.  Every one laughed at innocent Sylvia’s face as the meaning of her penance came into it, every one but Philip, who almost choked.

‘I’m candlestick,’ said Kinraid, with less of triumph in his voice than he would have had with any other girl in the room.

‘Yo’ mun kiss t’ candlestick,’ cried the Corneys, ’or yo’ll niver get yo’r ribbon back.’

‘And she sets a deal o’ store by that ribbon,’ said Molly Brunton, maliciously.

‘I’ll none kiss t’ candlestick, nor him either,’ said Sylvia, in a low voice of determination, turning away, full of confusion.

‘Yo’ll not get yo’r ribbon if yo’ dunnot,’ cried one and all.

‘I don’t care for t’ ribbon,’ said she, flashing up with a look at her tormentors, now her back was turned to Kinraid.  ‘An’ I wunnot play any more at such like games,’ she added, with fresh indignation rising in her heart as she took her old place in the corner of the room a little away from the rest.

Philip’s spirits rose, and he yearned to go to her and tell her how he approved of her conduct.  Alas, Philip!  Sylvia, though as modest a girl as ever lived, was no prude, and had been brought up in simple, straightforward country ways; and with any other young man, excepting, perhaps, Philip’s self, she would have thought no more of making a rapid pretence of kissing the hand or cheek of the temporary ‘candlestick’, than our ancestresses did in a much higher rank on similar occasions.  Kinraid, though mortified by his public rejection, was more conscious of this than the inexperienced Philip; he resolved not to be baulked, and watched his opportunity.  For the time he went on playing as if Sylvia’s conduct had not affected him in the least, and as if he was hardly aware of her defection from the game.  As she saw others submitting, quite as a matter of course, to similar penances, she began to be angry with herself for having thought twice about it, and almost to dislike herself for the strange consciousness which had made it at the time seem impossible to do what she was told.  Her eyes kept filling with tears as her isolated position in the gay party, the thought of what a fool she had made of herself, kept recurring to her mind; but no one saw her, she thought, thus crying; and, ashamed to be discovered when the party should pause in their game, she stole round behind