illa, the peach color
of her cheeks deepening to pomegranate; "when I go ashore I will convey
myself, or my brother will carry me; and thou, since thou art so
picksome, may set thyself to work, and ask naught of me."

"But why art thou so tart when I meant naught," began Alden,
bewildered; but again the girl cut him short with a stinging little
laugh.

"Thou never meanest aught, poor John; but I have no time to waste with
thee. Here, Robert, these come next, and take Mistress Allerton's hamper
as well."

"Nay, that is for me," growled Alden, seizing the basket from the hands
of the astonished servant who relinquished it with a stare and a
muttered exclamation in French; for William Molines, called Mullins by
the Pilgrims, his wife, son, daughter, and servant were all of the
French Huguenots, who fleeing from their native land planted a colony
upon the river Waal in Holland, and were at this time known as Walloons.
Learning enough of Dutch to carry on the business of daily life, and of
English to communicate with their co-religionists of the Pilgrim church
in Leyden, they retained French as the dear home language of their
birth, and the young people, like Priscilla and her brother Joseph, used
the three languages with equal facility.

A little offended and a good deal puzzled by the change in Priscilla's
manner since their last interview, Alden devoted himself to unloading
the boat without again addressing her, until he saw her confide herself
to the arms of her brother to be taken ashore; then seizing an armful of
parcels, he strode along close behind the slender stripling whose thews
and sinews were obviously unequal to his courage, and who floundered
painfully over the uneven sands. At last he stumbled, recovered himself,
plunged wildly forward, and fell flat upon his face, while his sister,
suddenly seized and held aloft in two strong arms, did not so much as
wet the hem of her garment, until with a few swift strides her rescuer
set her on dry land and turned to help the boy who came floundering
after them with a rueful and angry countenance.

"'T was all thy fault, Priscilla," began he. "Twisting and squirming to
see who was coming after us."

"Nay, 't was the fault of some great monster who came trampling on our
heels, and making the water wash round my feet. Some whale or griffin
belike, though he has hid himself again," and the girl affected to shade
her eyes and scan the sparkling waters, while Alden stro