In which the solitary Eustacia, restless amid the bleak expanse of Egdon Heath, schemes to slip into the guise of a mummer’s part in order to glimpse a cherished stranger at a local festivity. With delicate intrigue and a touch of youthful daring, she arranges a queer bargain with a lad of the heath to borrow his role and attire, thus embarking on an unexpected adventure under the veil of night.