and a Red, I think that politics have
no business to interfere with the pleasant commerce and suave affairs of
love, so I answered her reprovingly. "Kisses have no causes," said I; "I
will kiss Guelph-wise; I will kiss Ghibelline-wise; I will kiss Red; I
will kiss Yellow; it's all one to me, so long as the mouth be like
yours, as pink as a cleft pomegranate, and the teeth as white as its
seeds."

Now at this Jacintha, who had eyes the color of amethysts, and dark hair
with a purplish stain in it, wagged a finger at me reprovingly, saying,
"I fear you are a wanton wooer." And at this all the other girls laughed
like the jolly wantons they were.

But I pretended to take it all mighty seriously, and answered as
solemnly as any philosopher, "Never say it, never think it. I am the
golden rose of constancy; I have loved a lass for three days on end, and
never yawned once."

Now, while I was talking thus, and pulling my face to keep it from
laughing, the girl that was named Barbara had come up very close to me,
and I was minded to slip my arm about her waist and draw her closer with
a view to the kissing of lips. But she had only neighbored me to mock
me, for she cried aloud, "Mirror of chivalry, I will give you a Guelph
cuff on your Ghibelline cheek." And as she spoke, being a girl of
spirit, she kept her word very roundly, and fetched me a box on the ear
with her brown hand that made my wits sing.

Now this was more than my philosophy could stomach, so I made a grab at
her, but she dipped from my outstretched fingers and slipped into the
midst of the crowd of other girls, and straightway I dropped from my
parapet and ran after her, vowing the merriest, pleasantest skelping.
However, she was too swift for me, and too nimble, capering behind this
girl and that girl, and ever eluding me when I seemed to be on the point
of seizing the minx, till at last, what with laughing and running and
calling, my breath failed me, and I stood in the midst of the pretty
jades, panting.

"Nay, I am fairly winded," I protested. "If some sweet she do not give
me a kiss, I shall die of despair."

Then Brigitta, who was nearest to me, came nearer with a kind look in
her strange eyes. "Nay then," she said, "for your song's sake, and to
save your life." So she said and so she did, for she kissed me full on
the mouth before all of them, and, indeed, this was the first time I had
kissed her, though I thank Heaven it was not the last.

And bec