ou take up with some other o'
the girls. To-morrow they'll be all after 'ee, an' this'll be my only
chance; for my father's no better'n a plain fisherman, an' they're all
above me in money an' rank. I be but a Ruan girl, an' my family is
naught. But look at me well; there's none stronger nor comelier, nor
that'll love thee so dear!"

The young man gasped. "Set me ashore at once!" he commanded, stamping
his foot.

"Nay, that I will not till thou promise, an' that's flat. Dear lad,
listen--an' consent, consent--an' I swear to thee thou'll never be sorry
for't."

"I never heard such awful impropriety in my life. Turn back; I order
you to steer back to the harbour at once!"

She shook her head. "No, lad; I won't. An' what's more, you don't know
how to handle a boat, an' couldn't get back by yoursel', not in a
month."

"This is stark madness. You--you abandoned woman, how long do you mean
to keep me here?"

"Till thou give in to me. We'm goin' straight t'wards Plymouth now, an'
if th' wind holds--as 'twill--we'll be off the Rame in two hours.
If you haven't said me yes by that maybe we'll go on; or perhaps we'll
run across to the coast o' France--"

"Girl, do you know that if I'm not back by day-break, I'm ruined!"

"And oh, man, man! Can't 'ee see that I'm ruined, too, if I turn back
without your word? How shall I show my face in Troy streets again, tell
me?"

At this sudden transference of responsibility the minister was
staggered.

"You should have thought of that before," he said, employing the one
obvious answer.

"O' course I thought of it. But for love o' you I made up my mind to
risk it. An' now there's no goin' back." She paused a moment and then
added, as a thought struck her, "Why, lad, doesn' that prove I love 'ee
uncommon?"

"I prefer not to consider the question. Once more--will you go back?"

"I can't."

He bit his lips and moved forward to the cuddy, on the roof of which he
seated himself sulkily. The girl tossed him an end of rope.

"Dear, better coil that up an' sit 'pon it. The frost'll strike a chill
into thee."

With this she resumed her old attitude by the tiller. Her eyes were
fixed ahead, her gaze passing just over the minister's hat. When he
glanced up he saw the rime twinkling on her shoulders and the star-shine
in her dark eyes. Around them the heavens blazed with constellations.
Never had the minister seen them so multitudinous or so resplendent.
Never