leful wail of the mermaids, and all was so uncanny
Joan was glad to hurry along as fast as she knew how. She was really
scared by this time, and the light was growing dim, for it was already
past three o'clock.

Once arrived at Penzance, Joan did her marketing quickly, but by the time
she had finished she was very tired and very hungry, for she had had
nothing to eat since twelve o'clock dinner, and had been trudging about
for hours. So, having a piece of saffron cake in her basket, she turned
into an inn in Market Jew Street, to get something to drink with it, and a
place to sit down for a while to rest.

When she got there she found the house so crowded that she had to sit on a
bench outside, and here she met a lot of friends, and had a thorough good
gossip. They drank each other's health too, and passed the compliments of
the season, until Joan remembered all of a sudden that she ought to have
been on her way home by that time, for the Squire would be very angry if
she were not there to see to things for the supper-party.

Up she jumped in a great flurry, and had said 'good-bye' all round when
she suddenly remembered that she had not yet bought several of the things
she had come to town on purpose to get. She was dreadfully vexed,
but there was no time to stay and think about it, she had just to hurry
back into the market and make her purchases as quickly as possible.

At last she had really bought everything, and was about to leave, when
unfortunately some wonderful bargains caught her eye, and it did seem to
her sinful to go away without taking a glance at them when she might never
have such a chance again. So she lingered by the stalls, and wandered up
and down having a good look at everything, when whom should she see doing
the very same thing but Tom Trenance!

He did not see Joan, so she thought she would go up and speak to him, and
ask if he was going home soon, for it would be nice to have his company on
the way. He was so busy, though, darting about from stall to stall, that
Joan could never get up to him. But she could see what he was doing, and
the sight made Joan's blood boil with indignation! He was helping himself
to everything that took his fancy! Yarn, stockings, boots, spoons,
clothing, until the wonder was that he could manage to stow the things
away.

The oddest part of all, though, was that nobody seemed to see him.
Joan looked again and again to make sure she was not dreaming, but