tures. He muttered to himself half audibly: "Good
Henry--brave Henry. Ah! had she but said, dear Henry!"

"What liquors be these?" said the old glover, laughing. "My cellar holds
none such; but if sack, or Rhenish, or wine of Gascony can serve, why,
say the word and the flagon foams, that is all."

"The kindest thanks," said the armourer, still musing, "that's more
than she ever said to me before--the kindest thanks--what may not that
stretch to?"

"It shall stretch like kid's leather, man," said the glover, "if
thou wilt but be ruled, and say what thou wilt take for thy morning's
draught."

"Whatever thou wilt, father," answered the armourer, carelessly, and
relapsed into the analysis of Catharine's speech to him. "She spoke
of my warm heart; but she also spoke of my reckless hand. What earthly
thing can I do to get rid of this fighting fancy? Certainly I were best
strike my right hand off, and nail it to the door of a church, that it
may never do me discredit more."

"You have chopped off hands enough for one night," said his friend,
setting a flagon of wine on the table. "Why dost thou vex thyself, man?
She would love thee twice as well did she not see how thou doatest upon
her. But it becomes serious now. I am not to have the risk of my booth
being broken and my house plundered by the hell raking followers of the
nobles, because she is called the Fair Maid of Perth, an't please ye.
No, she shall know I am her father, and will have that obedience to
which law and gospel give me right. I will have her thy wife, Henry, my
heart of gold--thy wife, my man of mettle, and that before many weeks
are over. Come--come, here is to thy merry bridal, jolly smith."

The father quaffed a large cup, and filled it to his adopted son,
who raised it slowly to his head; then, ere it had reached his lips,
replaced it suddenly on the table and shook his head.

"Nay, if thou wilt not pledge me to such a health, I know no one who
will," said Simon. "What canst thou mean, thou foolish lad? Here has a
chance happened, which in a manner places her in thy power, since from
one end of the city to the other all would cry fie on her if she should
say thee nay. Here am I, her father, not only consenting to the cutting
out of the match, but willing to see you two as closely united
together as ever needle stitched buckskin. And with all this on thy
side--fortune, father, and all--thou lookest like a distracted lover
in a ballad, more like to