spoke in the fury of my
anguish, and can you love me again?"

"I will try," said Hodge, gravely; "and without doubt I shall succeed,
provided you go to-day forthwith to the justice, and make your will."

"I will make my will, and to-morrow we will go to the priest; shall it
not be so, my angel?"

"Yes, we go to the priest to-morrow!" growled Hodge, as with a frightful
grimace he scratched himself behind the ears.

"And now come, my angel, and give me a kiss of reconciliation!" She
spread her arms out, and when Houge did not come to her, but remained
immovable, and steadfast in his position, she went to Hodge and pressed
him tenderly to her heart.

Suddenly she uttered a shriek, and let go of Hodge, She had felt a
terrible pain in her breast. It seemed as though a small dagger had
pierced her bosom.

And there it was, the lost needle, and Hodge then was innocent and pure
as the early dawn.

He had not mischievously purloined the needle, so that Gammer Gurton
would be compelled to leave her house in order to fetch some new needles
from the shopkeeper's; he had not intended to go to Tib, for Tib was not
in the court, but had gone out.

"Oh Hodge, Hodge, good Hodge, you innocent dove, will you forgive me?"

"Come to the justice of the peace, Gammer Gurton, and I forgive you!"

They sank tenderly into each other's arms, wholly forgetful of their
master, who still stood near them, and looked on, laughing and nodding
his head.

"Now, then, I have found the finest and most splendid materials for my
piece," said John Heywood, as he left the loving pair and betook himself
to his own room. "Gammer Gurton has saved me, and King Henry will not
have the satisfaction of seeing me whipped by those most virtuous and
most lovely ladies of his court. To work, then, straightway to work!"

He seated himself at his writing-desk, and seized pen and paper.

"But how!" asked he, suddenly pausing. "That is certainly a rich subject
for a composition; but I can never in the world get an interlude out of
it! What shall I do with it? Abandon this subject altogether, and again
jeer at the monks and ridicule the nuns? That is antiquated and worn
out! I will write something new, something wholly new, and something
which will make the king so merry, that he will not sign a death-warrant
for a whole day. Yes, yes, a merry play shall it be, and then I will
call it boldly and fearlessly a comedy!"

He seized his pen and wrote: "Gammer Gur