ten o'clock
All at once he stopped close to the huge bonfire , and stared , with knitted brows , at Dominic Le Mierre , who swaggered in and out amongst the girls , tapping one on the cheek , chucking another under the chin , and pulling the long curls of a young creature in her teens . In the fitful and flickering light , the master of Orvillière looked like a sea-king , so stalwart , so wicked , so magnetic . It was quite plain to Perrin Corbet that he was more than a little the worse for drink ; and he watched him closely , and followed him as near as he dared without being observed . At ten o'clock , and at a given signal , the masked girls went up to the group of men to choose partners . Perrin edged close to Dominic Le Mierre and scrutinized painfully the girl who laid her hand on the `` jerseyed '' arm of the master . She was of middle height and extremely thin . Her emaciated hand trembled ; it looked almost discoloured in the uncertain light .