Mr. Mulready is a solid, respectable, well-to-do man of Somerset when one day, while singing the song 'Stay Corydon, Thou Swain', the lines "Thy nymph is light and shadow-like; For if thou follow her, she'll fly from thee" are suddenly heard with new ears, for he knows exactly what that nymph must look like. But he cannot imagine any reason why he knows her appearance, until he sees her in his store the next day. He talks to her, and suggests a bike ride, and he follows her into the woods, where her suspected identity as a nymph is born out, as is the line of the song. The impression is that he has helped her return to her true nature, but what happens to him in return may be his ruin.
