een listening to my doom
being pronounced by the mouth of some full-blooded, jovial red judge,
with a bunch of seals the size of your fist dangling from his fob and
the loaded whip with which he had brought down the highwayman, under his
arm.

"Come thou up to the King's Arms!" he cried; "don't stand there looking
like a dummy. Let's have the matter out! Thour't noan shamed, surely!
There's no reason for why. At thy age, laddie--hout-hout--there's no
wrong as young folks go. Come thy ways, lad!"

Obediently I followed in his wake as he elbowed a way through the crowd,
salutations pouring in upon him on every side.

"Ah, Birkenbog, what's brought you into the market this day--sellin'
lambs?"

"That's as may be--buyin' calves more belike!"

This was for my benefit, and the old brute, tasting his sorry jest,
turned and slapped me again, winking all the time with his formidable
brows in a spasmodic and horrible manner, that was like a threat.

Now, I did not mind Lalor Maitland or Galligaskins when my blood was up.
But now it was down--far down--indeed in my very boots.

All the time and every step of the way, I was trying in a void and empty
brain to evolve plans of escape. I could only hear the rich port-wine
chuckle of that great voice, and watch the gleam of those huge silver
spurs.

And so presently we came to the King's Arms. Never was bold wooer in a
more hopeless position. Whichever way I turned the case was
desperate--if I resisted, I could not expect to fare better than Tam
Haggart, whom that whip shank had beaten to the ground on the Corse o'
Slakes. If I let myself drift, then farewell all hope of Irma Maitland.

I hesitated and was lost. But who in my place could have bettered
it--save by not being such a portentous fool to begin with? But when
that is in a man, it will out.

I entered the King's Arms meekly, and before I knew what I was doing I
had been presented to three or four solid-thighed, thick-headed,
stout-legginged farmers as "Our Lottie's intended." They laughed, and
came near to shaking my hand off. I felt that if I backed out after
that, I never could show my face in Eden Valley again.

Then we proceeded to business. I had not been accustomed to drink
anything stronger than water, and I was not going to begin now--so much
of sense I had left in me. So as often as the mighty farmer of Birkenbog
had his tankard pointed at the cornice of the commercial room of the
King's Arms, I poured t