child, the gentleman in the house. God grant that I may preserve
my temper. Do you know, sir, my name? My name is Herne, which signifies
a hairy individual, though neither grey-haired nor wrinkled. It is not
the nature of the Hernes to be grey or wrinkled, even when they are old,
and I am not old."

"How old are you, bebee?"

"Sixty-five years, child--an inconsiderable number. My mother was a
hundred and one--a considerable age--when she died, yet she had not one
grey hair, and not more than six wrinkles--an inconsiderable number."

"She had no griefs, bebee?"

"Plenty, child, but not like mine."

"Not quite so hard to bear, bebee?"

"No, child, my head wanders when I think of them. After the death of my
husband, who came to his end untimeously, I went to live with a daughter
of mine, married out among certain Romans who walk about the eastern
counties, and with whom for some time I found a home and pleasant
society, for they lived right Romanly, which gave my heart considerable
satisfaction, who am a Roman born, and hope to die so. When I say right
Romanly, I mean that they kept to themselves, and were not much given to
blabbing about their private matters in promiscuous company. Well,
things went on in this way for some time, when one day my son-in-law
brings home a young Gorgio of singular and outrageous ugliness, and,
without much preamble, says to me and mine, 'This is my pal, a'n't he a
beauty? fall down and worship him.' 'Hold,' said I, 'I for one will
never consent to such foolishness.'"

"That was right, bebee, I think I should have done the same."

"I think you would, child; but what was the profit of it? The whole
party makes an almighty of this Gorgio, lets him into their ways, says
prayers of his making, till things come to such a pass that my own
daughter says to me, 'I shall buy myself a veil and fan, and treat myself
to a play and sacrament.' 'Don't,' says I; says she, 'I should like for
once in my life to be courtesied to as a Christian gentlewoman.'"

"Very foolish of her, bebee."

"Wasn't it, child? Where was I? At the fan and sacrament; with a heavy
heart I put seven score miles between us, came back to the hairy ones,
and found them over-given to gorgious companions; said I, 'Foolish
manners is catching; all this comes of that there Gorgio.' Answers the
child Leonora, 'Take comfort, bebee, I hate the Gorgios as much as you
do.'"

"And I say so again, bebee, as much or more