rsued Dick.

"Nay," cried the other, "by the abuse of force! He hath taken me by
violence from my own place; dressed me in these weeds; ridden with me
till my heart was sick; gibed me till I could 'a' wept; and when certain
of my friends pursued, thinking to have me back, claps me in the rear to
stand their shot! I was even grazed in the right foot, and walk but
lamely. Nay, there shall come a day between us; he shall smart for all!"

"Would ye shoot at the moon with a hand-gun?" said Dick. "'Tis a valiant
knight, and hath a hand of iron. An he guessed I had made or meddled
with your flight, it would go sore with me."

"Ay, poor boy," returned the other, "y' are his ward, I know it. By the
same token, so am I, or so he saith; or else he hath bought my
marriage--I wot not rightly which; but it is some handle to oppress me
by."

"Boy again!" said Dick.

"Nay, then, shall I call you girl, good Richard?" asked Matcham.

"Never a girl for me," returned Dick. "I do abjure the crew of them!"

"Ye speak boyishly," said the other. "Ye think more of them than ye
pretend."

"Not I," said Dick, stoutly. "They come not in my mind. A plague of
them, say I! Give me to hunt and to fight and to feast, and to live with
jolly foresters. I never heard of a maid yet that was for any service,
save one only; and she, poor shrew, was burned for a witch and the
wearing of men's clothes in spite of nature."

Master Matcham crossed himself with fervour, and appeared to pray.

"What make ye?" Dick inquired.

"I pray for her spirit," answered the other, with a somewhat troubled
voice.

"For a witch's spirit?" Dick cried. "But pray for her, an ye list; she
was the best wench in Europe, was this Joan of Arc. Old Appleyard the
archer ran from her, he said, as if she had been Mahoun. Nay, she was a
brave wench."

"Well, but, good Master Richard," resumed Matcham, "an ye like maids so
little, y' are no true natural man; for God made them twain by intention,
and brought true love into the world, to be man's hope and woman's
comfort."

"Faugh!" said Dick. "Y' are a milk-sopping baby, so to harp on women.
An ye think I be no true man, get down upon the path, and whether at
fists, back-sword, or bow and arrow, I will prove my manhood on your
body."

"Nay, I am no fighter," said Matcham, eagerly. "I mean no tittle of
offence. I meant but pleasantry. And if I talk of women, it is because
I heard ye were to marry."

"I