ce and departed, and busy
hands were removing all signs of the late commotion in haste that the
setting sun should find the village ready for its Sunday rest and peace,
when Myles Standish suddenly presented himself before Priscilla Molines
as she came up from the spring with a pile of wooden trenchers in her
hands.

"Mistress Molines a word with you," began he with an unconscious
imperiousness that at once aroused the girl's rebellious spirit.

"Nay, Captain, I am not of your train band, and your business must await
my pleasure and convenience. Now, I am over busy."

"Nay, then, if I spoke amiss I crave your pardon, mistress, and had we
more time I would beat my brains for some of the flowery phrases I used
to hear among the court gallants who came to learn war in Flanders. But
I also have business almost as weighty as thine and as little able to
brook delay. So I pray you of your courtesy to set down your platters on
this clean sod, and listen patiently to me for a matter of five
minutes."

"I am listening, sir."

"Nay, put down the platters or let me put them down."

"There then, and glad am I"--

"Of what, mistress?"

"That I'm not often under thy orders, sir."

"Ah! But we'll waste no time in skirmishing, fair enemy. Tell me rather
what didst mean by the loving-cup thou sendst me? May I take it sooth
and truly as relenting on thy part?"

"I send you a loving-cup, sir!" exclaimed the girl, her eyes flashing,
and her color rising.

"Yes. Call it by what name you will; I mean the cup Desire Minter
brought me from thee, with a message that I should drink thy health."

"Loth were I to think, Captain Standish, that you would willfully insult
a maid with none to defend her, and so I will charitably suppose that
you have been forced to drink too many healths to guard well thine own.
Good e'en, sir."

"Now by the God that made us both, wench, I'll have an end of this. Nay,
not one step dost thou stir until you or I are laid in a lie."

"A lie, Captain Standish!"

"Mayhap my own lie. I say that Desire Minter brought me a silver cup of
some sweet posset, such as you have made for our sick folk time and
again, and bade me from you quaff it to your health."

"And that is God's truth, say you, sir?"

"Mistress Molines, my word has not often been doubted, and you force me
to remind you that I come not of mechanical"--

"Nay, nay, stop there, an' it please you, sir! We'll unwind this coil
before we snarl an