I Saw Three Ships and Other Winter Tale

ad from the pillow and felt the fatigue of last night yet in her limbs, she was aware also of a rich tenor voice uplifted beneath her window. Air and words were strange to

th be

be s

l my

issue

er own

un un

w his

uth be

tstep had ceased to crunch the gravel, and he stood now just beneath her, before the monthly-rose bush. Throughou

rt, he

ot eas

e relea

id un

ill d

he be

ose, in

art be

stling the air of his ditty, and twirl

thinks you an angel, and then you know him for a fool, or he sees through you and won't marry you for worlds. If we behaved like that, men would fare badly, I reckon. Zeb loved me till

d boards gleamed as the guests' feet had polished them; and upon the very spot where the stranger had danced now stood the breakfast-table, piled with broken meats. This alone of all the heavier pie

ed my rose-bu

it to give it back; and, not being

pie, sweet giblet pie-such a whack of pies do try a man, to be sure. Likewise junkets an' heavy cake be a responsibility, for if not eaten quick,

er finger deep in the act of pinnin

signifyin' 'damn it all!' among women. And so sa

ds, no fortune-or only the pound or two sewn in my belt. The rest has been lost to me these three days an

ut that noti

. "My dear young lady, your father has been begging me to stay-chiefly, no doubt, out of goodwill, but partl

e girl, taking cou

he leant sidewise, struck into the iris of his eyes and turned them blood-red in their depths. She h

can stay on one conditio

and stood, grasping the

our father (who, I must say, honours me with considerable trust, seeing that he knows nothing about

r the sake of hearing her own voice

here's your gumption? You'm makin' a me

hich to admire most, your father's head or his heart; his head, I think, on the whole. So much ho

the night before, during the hornpipe. She felt weak as a child in the presence of this man, or rather as one recovering from a long illness. He seemed to fill the room, speaking words as if they were living things, as if he were taking the world to bits and re

xious that I should supp

I never

father, young woman, desired-it was none of my suggestion-that I should insinuate myself into your good grace

o' thu

London Docks, but have neither home nor people. I have travelled by land and sea; slept on silk and straw; drunk wine and the salt water; fought, gambled, made love, begged my bread; in all, lost m

d suddenly becomes too big for a human being, Ruby had a curiosity to know what he was

him up-l

Plymouth coach. In any case, I must spend till Saturday in Plymouth. It depends on you whether I come back at

her lips. She felt the room spinning, and wanted

you ma

-e-

a chair, bent her head on the tab

outed her father, and b

d behind him than the strange

id a hand softly o

ub

houlders were shaken by on

ub

, and forced her to look at him. His eyes

e that. You've looked me through and through-you unders

you. But you're wrong. I lied

must be Sat

h trouble. Smile back at me, Ruby, for I played a risky strok

he arm of her chair and

oubt I love you. Do you know of any other man who, kno

It was impossible

y into your power, as I am about to do? Listen

and stared at him. "I

ore you u

ax. I lied

n this very fire, last

ole it myself from the

hy

a footi

in,

ove of

at followed, the pair

o and tell your father," s

shi

own very old and w

ed her

of being found out. I've fe

w that I

p, I go to the vicarage to put up our banns before I set off for Plymouth. If it be drawn down, I leave this house for ever, taking nothing from

ot at the window, but he kissed his hand for all that, and smiled, and went his way singing. The air was t

oldier, will

gginet, fif

ty miss, I ca

ot no coat

ran to the

as she c

im a coat of the

ldier clap

ldier, will y

ied away do