CHAPTER II.

THE LAUNCH OF THE PINNACE.

"Mary! Mary Chilton! Maid Mary mine!" called Priscilla Molines in her
clear bird-voice, as she ran down the steps leading to the principal
cabin. "Come on deck and see the launch of the pinnace! The carpenters
call her fit for use if not finished, and the men have gone ashore to
launch her. Where art thou, poppet!"

"Here," replied a gentler and sweeter voice, as Mary Chilton came
forward, a long gray stocking dangling from her hands, and stood in a
slant ray of sunshine which lighted her golden hair to a glory, and
showed the pure tints of her May-bloom face and clear blue eyes; a
lovely English face in its first fresh rapture of morning beauty.

"Right merrily will I come, Priscilla, if there be aught to see,"
continued she, throwing down the stocking which she was knitting for her
father. "Truly my eyes ache with staring at nothingness."

"Well, there's a trifle this side of nothingness on the beach at this
minute," retorted Priscilla, pinching her friend's ear. "Men call it
Gilbert Winslow."

"Hush, hush, Priscilla!" whispered Mary, with a scared look toward her
mother's cabin. "If anybody heard such folly! And Mistress White already
tells my mother that we two are over-light in our carriage and
conversation."

"Mistress White"--began Priscilla sharply, but ended the exclamation
with a saucy laugh and said instead, "Yes, truly as thou sayest, my May,
mine eyes ache with gazing upon nothingness and my tongue aches with
speaking naught but wisdom. It is out of nature for young maids to be as
staid as their elders, and methinks I do not care to be. Let us be young
while we have youth, say I."

She looked perilously pretty as she arched her brows and pouted her ripe
lips, and Mary looked at her in loving admiration, while she answered
sagely,--

"You and yours are French, Priscilla, and I am all English like my
forbears; so thou mayst well be lighter natured than I--I mean no harm,
dear."

"No harm is done, dear mother in Israel," replied Priscilla half
mockingly, and seizing Mary's hand she led her on deck, where many of
the women and children were collected, watching the preparations on
shore for the launch of the pinnace, which, much strained by bad stowage
between decks, had needed about a fortnight's work done upon her before
she was fit for service.

"They only wait for her to set forth on a second exploration," said
Priscilla confidentially; "and a little