ng her thine _Excellency_, or thy _Floweriness_, or thy
Some-Sort-of-Foolery, why, I'd as lief strike to a _Spanish_ galleon,
very nigh. When I want a maid to wed me, an' I ever do--at this present
I don't--I shall walk straight up to her like a man, and say, `Mistress
_Cicely_ (or whatso she be named), I love you; will you wed me?' And if
she cannot see an honest man's love, or will not take it, without all
that flummery, why, she isn't worth a pail o' sea-water: and I can get
along without her, and I will."

"Hurrah for _Ned_!" saith Aunt _Joyce_. "'Tis a comfort to find we have
one man in the family."

"I trust we may have two, in time," quoth _Father_. "_Wat_, my lad, I
know this comes hard: and as I count thee not wicked, but weak, I would
fain help thee all I may. But thou canst not be suffered to forget that
my fortune is but three hundred pound by the year; and I have yet three
daughters to portion. I could not pay thy debts without calling in that
for which thou hast pledged my credit--for it is mine, _Wat_, rather
than thine, seeing thine own were thus slender."

"But, Sir!" crieth _Wat_, "that were punishing you for mine
extravagance. I never dreamed of that!"

"Come, he is opening his eyes a bit at last," saith Aunt _Joyce_ to me,
that was next her.

"May-be, _Wat_," saith _Father_, with a kindly smile, "it had been
better if thou hadst dreamed thereof a little sooner. I think, my boy,
it will be punishment enough for one of thy nature but to 'bide at home,
and to see the straits whereto thou hast put them that love thee best."

"Punishment!" saith Wat, in a low, 'shamed voice. "Yes, _Father_, the
worst you could devise."

"Well, then we will say no more," saith _Father_. "Only draw up those
lists, _Walter_, and let me have them quickly."

_Father_ then left the chamber: and _Wat_ threw him down at _Mother's_
knee.

"O _Mother_, _Mother_, if I had but thought sooner!" crieth he. "If I
could but have stood out when they laughed at me!--for that, in very
deed, were the point. I did begin with keeping within my wage: and then
all they mocked and flouted me, and told me no youth of any spirit
should do so: and--and I gave way. Oh, if I had but held on!"

_Mother_ softly stroked _Wat's_ gleaming fair hair, that is so like
hers.

"My boy!" she saith, "didst thou ask for God's strength, or try to hold
on in thine own?"

_Walter_ made no answer in words, but methought I saw the water stan