onable to quarrel with another man's
conscience so that it thwarts not thine," replied Bradford patiently,
although the color rose to his cheek as he felt the scorn of his
comrade's voice. "Neither Winslow nor I would do aught that we could not
answer for to God, and have not we come to this wilderness that we might
be free to serve Him only, in matters of conscience?"

"I meant not to forget courtesy, nay, nor friendship neither, Bradford;
but my speech is ever hasty and none too smooth. So thou wilt marry,
anon?"

"I'll tell thee friend, and thou 'rt the first I've told. There is a
lady in the old country"--

"Which old country? The Netherlands or England?"

"She is in England now, or was when we set forth. Thou must have seen
her, Standish,--Alice Carpenter, who wedded Edward Southworth in
Amsterdam."

"Oh, ay. A goodly crop of daughters had Father Carpenter, and not one
hung on hand so soon as she was marriageable. Truly, I remember Mistress
Southworth well, a fair and discreet dame. And she was left a widow not
many days before we left England, if I mistake not."

"Ay. One little week."

"And didst thou woo her as in the play I saw when last I was in London,
King Richard wooed the widow of him he had slain, following her
husband's corse to the grave? Nay then, nay then, man, I meant it not
awry. But to ask a woman within one week of her widowhood, and thou
still wived"--

"Nay, nay, nay, Myles, thou 'rt all aglee and I doubt me if I had not
better kept mine own counsel. I have not looked upon Alice Carpenter's
face nor heard her voice since she was Southworth's wife."

"Oh, ay--I see, I see--'t is an old flame and thou 'rt of mind to try to
kindle it once more. You were sweethearts of old, eh, lad?"

"Something so,--though I meant not to say so much, and now must leave
the secret in thine honor, Captain."

"Dost doubt the ward, Bradford?"

"Nay. I trust thee as myself, and thou knowest it. Why must thou ever be
so hot, Myles? Yes, when Master Carpenter and his fair troop of
daughters came to Leyden it was not long until I saw that Alice was both
fairest and sweetest of them all; but thou knowest the fight we had for
bread, winning it by strange and unaccustomed labors: I, who knew naught
but my books, and something of husbandry, becoming a weaver of baize;
Brewster a ribbon weaver, Tilley a silk worker, Cushman a wool comber,
Eaton a carpenter, and so on; well, goodman Carpenter was loth to trust
hi