midnight
Inside fires were being lighted in the big fireplaces , and quiet , solid , old-fashioned English comfort everywhere the blaze brought out . Already two darky fiddlers were waiting on the back porch for a dram , and when the darkness settled the fiddles were talking old tunes and nimble feet were busy . Little Jason did his wonderful dancing and Gray did his ; and round about , the window-seats and the tall columns of the porch heard again from lovers what they had been listening to for so long . At midnight the hunters rode forth again in pairs into the crisp , brilliant air and under the kindly moon , Mavis jogging along beside Jason on Marjorie 's pony , for Marjorie would not have it otherwise . No wonder that Mavis loved the land . `` I jerked the gal outen the way , '' explained Jason , '' 'cause she was a gal an ' had no business messin ' with men folks . '' `` Of co ` se , '' Mavis agreed , for she was just as contemptuous as he over the fuss that had been made of the incident .