ice grew assured, and rising to his feet with a
certain solemnity he said,--

"Thou 'rt right, Priscilla, and I have done sore discredit thus far to
the honorable master on whose errand I come. Captain Standish, as no
doubt thou knowest, spake with thy father before he died of a marriage
in time to come between him and thee"--

"Nay, I knew it not, nor am bound by any such speech," interposed
Priscilla hastily; but Alden continued unmoved,--

"Captain Standish took it that thou didst know, and feared that thou
hadst felt his silence to be some want of eagerness"--

"Ay, I see! He feared that I was angered that he had not wooed me across
his wife's and my father's graves, and so thrust thee forward to bear
the first outburst of my fury! 'T was kindly thought on if not
over-valiant, and 't is an honorable, a noble office for thee, John, who
hast at odd times thrown me a soft word thyself."

"Oh maiden, maiden, wilt thou trample to death the poor heart that thou
knowest is all thine own! I 'throw thee a soft word now and again'! Why,
thou knowest but too well how I hang like a beggar on thy footsteps to
catch even a careless word that thou mayst fling to me! Thou knowest
that I love thee, maid, as blind men love sight, and dying men water,
and"--

"_Then why don't you speak for yourself, John?_" demanded Priscilla
quietly, and a dainty smile softened the proud curve of her lips, and a
gleam of tenderness quenched the fire of her eyes; but John, his eyes
fixed upon the ground, saw it not.

"Ah Priscilla, 't is not kind to try me thus!" cried he. "Sure thou hast
triumphed often enough in despising my humble suit, without wounding me
afresh to-day, and when I fain would rally my poor wits to honorably
fulfill the embassage that brings me here. Sith I may not hope to call
thee mine, maiden, I could better bear to see thee the wife of the noble
soldier whom I serve than of any other man, be he Fleming or Dutchman or
what not, so that thou art not promised."

"Go on, then, and say thy knight's message most worthy squire, and let
us make an end on 't."

"Thou knowest the captain for thyself, Priscilla, but mayhap thou
knowest not that he cometh of noble lineage, a race that hath borne
coat-armor since Norman William led them across the Channel"--

"Didst not bring some heraldic tree or chart to dazzle mine eyes
withal?" inquired Priscilla, mockingly; but the ambassador, determined
not again to be turned from his purpo