"

"I have heard ere now that the pith of a woman's letter was in the post
scriptum, just as the sting of a honey bee cometh at the latter end,"
said John dryly. "And now wilt thou sign?"

"Yes. Give me the quill. _Ciel_, how it sputters and spatters! 'T is a
wondrous poor pen, John."

"It served my turn well enow," replied John surveying with a grim smile
the childish signature surrounded with a halo of ink-spatters; but as
not one third of the women in the company could have done as well,
Priscilla felt no more chagrin at not being a clerk, than a young lady
of to-day would at not knowing trigonometry.

"And now address it to the Sieur Jacques De la Noye for Mademoiselle
Jeanne De la Noye, and I will trust thee to put it with the letters
already writ to go by the Mayflower. And thank thee kindly, John, for
thy trouble."

"Thou 'rt more than welcome, Priscilla."

"But why so grave upon 't, lad?"

"'The heart knoweth its own bitterness,' and mine hath no lack of bitter
food, Priscilla."

"Nay, perhaps thou turn 'st sweet into bitter. A kind word to the
brother of my gossip Jeanne"--

"Ah, that's not all, nor the worst. But there, I'll fetch thee some
water from the spring." And seizing the bucket, the young man went
hastily out, leaving Priscilla staring at the folded letter upon the
table, while she half murmured,--

"Handsome Jacques with his quick wit and gentle breeding, and our brave
Captain, the pink of knightly chivalry, and--John!"--

CHAPTER XVII.

AN INTERNATIONAL TREATY.

Priscilla's prophecy proved a true one, for hardly were the
one-and-twenty men of the colony assembled around the table in the
Common house to hold a final Council upon their new orders, than young
Cooke came rapping at the door to announce that a large body of Indians
had appeared on Watson's Hill, and seemed advancing on the village. The
Council once more was hastily broken up, Carver only pausing to say with
a glance around the circle,--

"It is clearly understood that Captain Standish is in full control of
all military proceedings in this community, and we are all bound to
follow his orders without cavil or delay."

"Ay," responded a score of deep-throated voices lacking that of Myles
himself, who said,--

"The governor's authority is above that of the commandant unless martial
law be proclaimed, and I shall be the first man to submit to it."

"'When gentlefolks meets, compliments passes,'" muttered Billing