d of everything else except the safety of the body. But now he looked
at Mary, and his breath again went from him.

"You can run again now; I am sure of it," said she; "and if you would
like to do anything to please me, run as fast as possible."

"What have I to run away from now?" he answered, in a deep sweet voice.
"I run from enemies, but not from friends."

"That is very wise. But your enemies are still almost within call of
you. They will come back worse than ever when they find you are
not there."

"I am not afraid, fair lady, for I understand their ways. I have led
them a good many dances.... When they cannot take another step, they
will come back to Anerley for breakfast."

"I dare say they will; and we shall be glad to see them. My father is a
soldier, and his duty is to nourish and comfort the forces of the King."

"Then you are young Mistress Anerley? I was sure of it before. There are
no two such. And you have saved my life. It is something to owe it
so fairly."

The young sailor wanted to kiss Mary's hand; but not being used to any
gallantry, she held out her hand in the simplest manner to take back her
riding skirt; and he, though longing in his heart to keep it, for a
token or pretext for another meeting, found no excuse for doing so. And
yet he was not without some resource.

For the maiden was giving him a farewell smile, being quite content with
the good she had done, and the luck of recovering her property; and that
sense of right which in those days formed a part of every good young
woman said to her plainly that she must be off. And she felt how unkind
it was to keep him any longer in a place where the muzzle of a gun, with
a man behind it, might appear at any moment. But he, having plentiful
breath again, was at home with himself to spend it.

"Fair young lady," he began, for he saw that Mary liked to be called a
lady, because it was a novelty, "owing more than I ever can pay you
already, may I ask a little more? Then it is that on your way down to
the sea, you would just pick up (if you should chance to see it) the
fellow ring to this, and perhaps you will look at this to know it by.
The one that was shot away flew against a stone just on the left of the
mouth of the Dike, but I durst not stop to look for it, and I must not
go back that way now. It is more to me than a hatful of gold, though
nobody else would give a crown for it."

"And they really shot away one of your earrings? Carele