ving
given thee offence."

"It is easier to give offence than pardon," saith she. "Howbeit, thou
art pardoned. Say no more." Whereupon she sets to work and, taking th'
horse's foot atween her knees, falls to filing his hoof in such wise
that I could not 'a' done better in her place, though the Queen should
ask me to sup afterwards at St. James's. But the stranger could not hold
his tongue; and when he saw her working th' bellows, and a-making of th'
shoe, and th' way she swung th' great hammer, "By my troth," saith he,
"I would I could paint thee as Sally Mander to give to th' Queen," saith
he.

Then saith my lass, "I know not of any wench called Sally Mander," saith
she, a-burning of th' horse's hoof with th' hot shoe; "but if she
consorts familiarly with such as be above her," so saith she, "methinks
'tis as well for both o' us that I know her not," saith she--every word
o't just as I tell thee.

Then saith the gallant, clapping hand to thigh, so that it made such a
sound as when a young child is trounced, "By my troth," saith he, "an
thy brows be not worthy o' a coronet, ne'er saw I any that merited to
wear one. What wouldst thou if thou wert a lady, lass?"

She saith, a-rolling up of her sleeves a little tighter, and looking up
at him as he sate again upon his horse, "Meanest thou if I were the wife
o' a lord?" saith she.

"Even so," saith he, laughing. "Verily thou hast come at my meaning with
a commendable quickness. Well, and if thou wert the wife o' a lord, what
wouldst thou do?"

Then saith she, speaking very slowly, and crossing of her arms again
upon her breast--saith she,

"I would bring up such sons as were born to me to behave worthily o'
their station in life, and not to forget their manhood by speaking with
insolence unto such honest maids as had never offered them affront."
Whereupon she did up with her kit o' tools, and pass by me into th'
forge; and th' man rode on with a reddened visage.

But it befell only two days later that a came again to th' forge, his
horse having cast another shoe.

And again th' lass sets all to right for him, he keeping a civil tongue
in 's head this time; and o' that we thought naught one way or th'
other. But when a comes a third time, and yet a fourth and a fifth and a
sixth, "Father," saith th' lass--"father," saith she, "this must be
stopt," saith she.

"Ay, verily," saith I. "But how wilt do 't?" saith I.

"I'll do 't, never fear," saith she.

And a di