o look after, now that the lands of
Minstead were joined to those of Twynham, and Alleyne had promised her
that if she would but bide with his wife he would never come back to
Hampshire again until he had gained some news, good or ill, of her lord
and lover.

The yellow cog had been engaged, with Goodwin Hawtayne in command, and a
month after the wedding Alleyne rode down to Bucklershard to see if she
had come round yet from Southampton. On the way he passed the fishing
village of Pitt's Deep, and marked that a little creyer or brig was
tacking off the land, as though about to anchor there. On his way back,
as he rode towards the village, he saw that she had indeed anchored, and
that many boats were round her, bearing cargo to the shore.

A bow-shot from Pitt's Deep there was an inn a little back from the
road, very large and wide-spread, with a great green bush hung upon a
pole from one of the upper windows. At this window he marked, as he rode
up, that a man was seated who appeared to be craning his neck in his
direction. Alleyne was still looking up at him, when a woman came
rushing from the open door of the inn, and made as though she would
climb a tree, looking back the while with a laughing face. Wondering
what these doings might mean, Alleyne tied his horse to a tree, and
was walking amid the trunks towards the inn, when there shot from the
entrance a second woman who made also for the trees. Close at her heels
came a burly, brown-faced man, who leaned against the door-post and
laughed loudly with his hand to his side, "Ah, mes belles!" he cried,
"and is it thus you treat me? Ah, mes petites! I swear by these
finger-bones that I would not hurt a hair of your pretty heads; but I
have been among the black paynim, and, by my hilt! it does me good to
look at your English cheeks. Come, drink a stoup of muscadine with me,
mes anges, for my heart is warm to be among ye again."

At the sight of the man Alleyne had stood staring, but at the sound of
his voice such a thrill of joy bubbled up in his heart that he had
to bite his lip to keep himself from shouting outright. But a deeper
pleasure yet was in store. Even as he looked, the window above was
pushed outwards, and the voice of the man whom he had seen there came
out from it. "Aylward," cried the voice, "I have seen just now a very
worthy person come down the road, though my eyes could scarce discern
whether he carried coat-armor. I pray you to wait upon him and tel