the injured staple. 'There, mistress, your
granddam will never tell the difference.'

'Ye must go 'way all the same,' she persisted; 'this is granny's house,
not yours.'

What were we to do with this resolute little dame of the marshes? That
we should stay in the house was a crying need, for there was no other
cover or shelter among the dreary bogs where we could hide ourselves.
Yet she was bent upon driving us out with a decision and fearlessness
which might have put Monmouth to shame.

'You sell milk,' said Reuben. 'We are tired and thirsty, so we have come
to have a horn of it.'

'Nay,' she cried, breaking into smiles, 'will ye pay me just as the folk
pay granny? Oh, heart alive! but that will be fine!' She skipped up
on to a stool and filled a pair of deep mugs from the basins upon the
table. 'A penny, please!' said she.

It was strange to see the little wife hide the coin away in her smock,
with pride and joy in her innocent face at this rare stroke of business
which she had done for her absent granny. We bore our milk away to the
window, and having loosed the shutters we seated ourselves so as to have
an outlook down the road.

'For the Lord's sake, drink slow!' whispered Reuben, under his breath.
'We must keep on swilling milk or she will want to turn us out.'

'We have paid toll now,' I answered; 'surely she will let us bide.'

'If you have done you must go 'way,' she said firmly.

'Were ever two men-at-arms so tyrannised over by a little dolly such as
this!' said I, laughing. 'Nay, little one, we shall compound with you by
paying you this shilling, which will buy all your milk. We can stay here
and drink it at our ease.'

'Jinny, the cow, is just across the marsh,' quoth she. 'It is nigh
milking time, and I shall fetch her round if ye wish more.'

'Now, God forbid!' cried Reuben. 'It will end in our having to buy the
cow. Where is your granny, little maid?'

'She hath gone into the town,' the child answered. 'There are bad men
with red coats and guns coming to steal and to fight, but granny will
soon make them go 'way. Granny has gone to set it all right.'

'We are fighting against the men with the red coats, my chuck,' said
I; 'we shall take care of your house with you, and let no one steal
anything.'

'Nay, then ye may stay,' quoth she, climbing up upon my knee as grave as
a sparrow upon a bough. 'What a great boy you are!'

'And why not a man?' I asked.

'Because you have no beard upon yo