"He had done it already--this morning!" said Mrs. Leigh, looking up
through her tears. "He renounced her forever on his knees before me!
only he is too noble to tell you so."
"The more reason I should copy him," said Amyas, setting his lips, and
trying to look desperately determined, and then suddenly jumping up,
he leaped upon Frank, and throwing his arms round his neck, sobbed out,
"There, there, now! For God's sake, let us forget all, and think about
our mother, and the old house, and how we may win her honor before we
die! and that will be enough to keep our hands full, without fretting
about this woman and that.--What an ass I have been for years! instead
of learning my calling, dreaming about her, and don't know at this
minute whether she cares more for me than she does for her father's
'prentices!"
"Oh, Amyas! every word of yours puts me to fresh shame! Will you believe
that I know as little of her likings as you do?"
"Don't tell me that, and play the devil's game by putting fresh hopes
into me, when I am trying to kick them out. I won't believe it. If she
is not a fool, she must love you; and if she don't, why, be hanged if
she is worth loving!"
"My dearest Amyas! I must ask you too to make no more such speeches to
me. All those thoughts I have forsworn."
"Only this morning; so there is time to catch them again before they are
gone too far."
"Only this morning," said Frank, with a quiet smile: "but centuries have
passed since then."
"Centuries? I don't see many gray hairs yet."
"I should not have been surprised if you had, though," answered Frank,
in so sad and meaning a tone that Amyas could only answer--
"Well, you are an angel!"
"You, at least, are something even more to the purpose, for you are a
man!"
And both spoke truth, and so the battle ended; and Frank went to his
books, while Amyas, who must needs be doing, if he was not to dream,
started off to the dockyard to potter about a new ship of Sir Richard's,
and forget his woes, in the capacity of Sir Oracle among the sailors.
And so he had played his move for Rose, even as Eustace had, and lost
her: but not as Eustace had.
CHAPTER V
CLOVELLY COURT IN THE OLDEN TIME
"It was among the ways of good Queen Bess,
Who ruled as well as ever mortal can, sir,
When she was stogg'd, and the country in a mess,
She was wont to send for a Devon man, sir."
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