, and though Master
Busy's impassioned protestations of less than half an hour ago, must be
still ringing in her ears, she declared emphatically that she could hear
the throbbing of that young vermin's heart.

Master Busy up aloft was quite sure that what she heard was a few sheep
and cattle of Sir Marmaduke's who were out to grass in a field close by,
and had been scared into a canter.

What went on for the next moment or two the saintly man on the elm tree
branch could not rightly perceive, but the next words from Mistress
Charity's lips sent a thrill of indignation through his heart.

"Oh! Master Courage," she said with a little cry, "you must not squeeze
me so! I vow you have taken the breath out of my body! The Lord love
you, child! think you I can stay here all this while and listen to your
nonsense?"

"Just one minute longer, fair mistress," entreated the young reprobate,
"the moon is not yet up, the birds have gone to their nests for sleep,
will ye not tarry a while here with me? That old fool Busy will never
know!"

It is a fact that at this juncture the saintly man well-nigh fell off
his perch, and when Master Courage, amidst many coy shrieks from the
fickle female, managed to drag her down beside him, upon the carpet of
moss immediately beneath the very tree whereon Hymn-of-Praise was
holding watch, the unfortunate man had need of all his strength of mind
and of purpose not to jump down with both feet upon the lying face of
that young limb of Satan.

But he felt that the discovery of his somewhat undignified position by
these two evil-doers would not at this moment be quite opportune, so he
endeavored to maintain his equilibrium at the cost of supreme
discomfort, and the loud cracking of the branch on which he was perched.

Mistress Charity gave a cry of terror.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, nothing, mistress, I swear," rejoined Courage reassuringly,
"there are always noises in old elm trees, the ivy hangs heavy and ..."

"I have heard it said of late that the pavilion is haunted," she
murmured under her breath.

"No! not haunted, mistress! I vow 'tis but the crackling of loose
branches, and there is that which I would whisper in your ear ..."

But before Master Courage had the time to indulge in this, the desire of
his heart, something fell upon the top of his lean head which certainly
never grew on the elm tree overhead. Having struck his lanky hair the
object fell straight into his lap.

It