out the
court," said the armourer, his natural heat of temper kindling from
disappointment and vexation--"some of those who think they carry it
off through the height of their plumed bonnets and the jingle of their
spurs. I would I knew which it was that, leaving his natural mates, the
painted and perfumed dames of the court, comes to take his prey among
the simple maidens of the burgher craft. I would I knew but his name and
surname!"

"Henry Smith," said Catharine, shaking off the weakness which seemed to
threaten to overpower her a moment before, "this is the language of an
ungrateful fool, or rather of a frantic madman. I have told you already,
there was no one who stood, at the beginning of this conference, more
high in my opinion than he who is now losing ground with every word he
utters in the tone of unjust suspicion and senseless anger. You had no
title to know even what I have told you, which, I pray you to observe,
implies no preference to you over others, though it disowns any
preference of another to you. It is enough you should be aware that
there is as insuperable an objection to what you desire as if an
enchanter had a spell over my destiny."

"Spells may be broken by true men," said, the smith. "I would it were
come to that. Thorbiorn, the Danish armourer, spoke of a spell he had
for making breastplates, by singing a certain song while the iron was
heating. I told him that his runic rhymes were no proof against the
weapons which fought at Loncarty--what farther came of it it is needless
to tell, but the corselet and the wearer, and the leech who salved his
wound, know if Henry Gow can break a spell or no."

Catharine looked at him as if about to return an answer little approving
of the exploit he had vaunted, which the downright smith had not
recollected was of a kind that exposed him to her frequent censure. But
ere she had given words to her thoughts, her father thrust his head in
at the door.

"Henry," he said, "I must interrupt your more pleasing affairs, and
request you to come into my working room in all speed, to consult about
certain matters deeply affecting the weal of the burgh."

Henry, making his obeisance to Catharine, left the apartment upon her
father's summons. Indeed, it was probably in favour of their future
friendly intercourse, that they were parted on this occasion at the
turn which the conversation seemed likely to take. For, as the wooer
had begun to hold the refusal of the