nctively
realising this pulled each a coin from his pocket, spun it in the air,
and dropped his other hand over the palm on which it lay. For a few
seconds they remained thus, all silent; then Abel, who was the more
thoughtful of the men, spoke:

'Sarah! is this good?' As he spoke he removed the upper hand from the
coin and placed the latter back in his pocket. Sarah was nettled.

'Good or bad, it's good enough for me! Take it or leave it as you
like,' she said, to which he replied quickly:

'Nay lass! Aught that concerns you is good enow for me. I did but
think of you lest you might have pain or disappointment hereafter. If
you love Eric better nor me, in God's name say so, and I think I'm man
enow to stand aside. Likewise, if I'm the one, don't make us both
miserable for life!' Face to face with a difficulty, Sarah's weak
nature proclaimed itself; she put her hands before her face and began
to cry, saying--

'It was my mother. She keeps telling me!' The silence which followed
was broken by Eric, who said hotly to Abel:

'Let the lass alone, can't you? If she wants to choose this way, let
her. It's good enough for me--and for you, too! She's said it now, and
must abide by it!' Hereupon Sarah turned upon him in sudden fury, and
cried:

'Hold your tongue! what is it to you, at any rate?' and she resumed
her crying. Eric was so flabbergasted that he had not a word to say,
but stood looking particularly foolish, with his mouth open and his
hands held out with the coin still between them. All were silent till
Sarah, taking her hands from her face laughed hysterically and said:

'As you two can't make up your minds, I'm going home!' and she turned
to go.

'Stop,' said Abel, in an authoritative voice. 'Eric, you hold the
coin, and I'll cry. Now, before we settle it, let us clearly
understand: the man who wins takes all the money that we both have
got, brings it to Bristol and ships on a voyage and trades with it.
Then he comes back and marries Sarah, and they two keep all, whatever
there may be, as the result of the trading. Is this what we
understand?'

'Yes,' said Eric.

'I'll marry him on my next birthday,' said Sarah. Having said it the
intolerably mercenary spirit of her action seemed to strike her, and
impulsively she turned away with a bright blush. Fire seemed to
sparkle in the eyes of both men. Said Eric: 'A year so be! The man
that wins is to have one year.'

'Toss!' cried Abel, and the coin spun in