r honor?"

"Nay, Desire, it needs not so much ceremony to speak to William
Bradford. What wouldst thou?"

"Well, worshipful sir, 't is a little advice. Your honor sees that I am
a poor lonely lass, bereft now of even my cousin Carver's husband"--

"Nay, my girl, our late governor was more than 'even my cousin's
husband.' Pay honor to him rather than to me."

"Ay, but he is dead and cannot help me, and thou art alive."

"'And better a live dog than a dead lion,'" murmured Bradford looking
sorrowfully at the girl whose selfish cunning was not keen enough to
disguise itself.

"Well?"

"Why, I fain would know your honor's judgment upon my marriage."

"Thou marry! And who is the man?"

"Why, there now is the question, sir? Captain Standish hath showed me
that he fain would ask me to wife, did not Priscilla Molines woo him so
desperately"--

"Peace, child! How dare one Christian woman speak thus of another!"

"But 't is so, your worship; 't is so, indeed, and how can I gainsay
it?" whimpered the girl. "She as good as asked him when we were sick
together in the hospital, and she wrought upon her father to ask him,
and what could he do between them, and still he would rather have had me
to wife, and I would have not said him nay."

"Well, and what can I do about it?"

"Bid Priscilla give him up, your honor, and bid him speak out to me, and
quickly, for else John Howland will have me to wife."

"Ah, and hath Howland also asked thee?"

"Yes, your honor, he asked me as the Mayflower was sailing out of the
harbor, and I told my cousin Carver, and she says it will be an ease to
her mind to leave me with so good a man to my husband, but for me I had
rather have the Captain."

"And thou callest upon me to straighten this coil, and marry thee to
whichever man will have thee, eh?"

"Yes, your honor."

"Thou 'rt a simple lass, and knowst not half thou sayest. Go now, and I
will send for thee in a day or two. But see thou keep a quiet tongue.
Say not one word so much as to the rushes, or thou shalt have no husband
at all. Mind that!"

"Oh, I'll not speak, I'll not forget, trust me to do all your honor's
bidding," cried the girl joyfully, and Bradford gazing at her in
compassionate wonder rejoined,--

"Well, go now, and remember. Stay, send me one of the lads, no matter
which. The first one thou seest."

And when Giles Hopkins presently appeared he sent him to crave the
presence of Captain Standish when he shoul