er, so
that she seemed to be trampling upon her treasures after a manner truly
royal. Also a red came into her shadowy cheeks, like as though a scarlet
flower tossed into a clear brown stream should rise slowly upward
beneath the limpid surface and shine a-through. And all at once she
ceased, and came back towards the young man, and returned his sickle
unto him. And she said, smiling,

"Take thou thy blade, for I have not only reaped the grain, but I have
reaped the reward of my bragging as well." And, behold! when I was come
up to them with a drink o' water in a gourd, there was the blood falling
down upon her white kirtle, as though the poppies in her crown had
melted in the sunlight and did stain her garment.

He did cry out, saying, "O' my word, lass, thou art deeply hurt. Let me
but look at it."

She saith unto him (winding her arm about in her long hair), "Nay, 'tis
nothing, and belike if thou look upon it 'twill spoil thy dinner: so
here's to thy health, and my father will bind it for me."

Then, when we were retired again into the shade, and I had torn a strip
off of her kirtle wherewith to stanch the blood, she laughed outright,
and saith,

"By my troth, father! I do verily believe thou thinkest me awkward
without a purpose."

"Purpose!" saith I; for I could not believe my ears. "How dost thou
mean--purpose?"

"That's neither here nor there," saith she, still laughing. "But I'll
lay thee my heifer, father, that Mistress Ruth's sweetheart cometh on
the morrow to inquire after Mistress Ruth's cousin Keren."

Wherewith she did make me a deep courtesy, and did get her back to the
other lasses ere I could reply.

Well, as I live, and must some day die, and do hope when I do die to get
to heaven, I was so taken aback with the hussy's cunning I could do
naught but stand and stare after her for some minutes.

And on the morrow he did come, and on the day after that he came, and
yet a third day and he was under my roof again.

Then saith my wife, after that his third visit was o'er, and speaking to
Keren as she sat spinning i' th' door-way, "Happuch," saith she, "thou
art serving thy cousin Ruth a very jade's trick."

Then, hearing as how she did call her "Happuch," I did prick up my ears,
as 'twere; for I knew there was anger brewing.

"Thou art very free with thy words to-day, mother," quoth the maid,
a-spinning very quickly.

"Not so free as thou art with thy favors to the sweetheart o' another
las