l
in the neighborhood was now his. It was rare for a sarcastic curl
to leave his lips and the furrow to be smoothed on his brow. Such
a rare occasion was the present. And the Broom-Squire had indeed
secured one in whom his pride was justifiable.

No one could say of Mehetabel that she had been frivolous and
forward. Reserved, even in a tavern: always able to maintain her
dignity; respecting herself, she had enforced respect from others.
That she was hard-working, shrewd, thrifty, none who visited the
Ship could fail to know.

Many a lad had attempted to win her favor, and all had been
repulsed. She could keep forward suitors at a distance without
wounding their self-esteem, without making them bear her a grudge.
She was tall, well-built and firmly knit. There was in her evidence
of physical as well as of moral strength.

Though young, Mehetabel seemed older than her years, so fully
developed was her frame, so swelling her bosom, so set were her
features.

Usually the girl wore a high color, but of late this had faded
out of her face, which had been left of an ashen hue. Her pallor,
however, only gave greater effect to the lustre and profusion of
her dark hair and to the size and to the velvet depth and softness
of her hazel eyes.

The girl had finely-moulded eyebrows, which, when she frowned
through anger, or contracted them through care, met in one band,
and gave a lowering expression to her massive brow.

An urchin in the rear nudged a ploughboy, and said in a low tone,
"Jim! The old harnet out o' the 'ollow tree be in luck to-day.
Wot'll he do with her, now he's ketched a butterfly?"

"Wot be he like to do?" retorted the bumpkin. "A proper spiteful
twoad such as he--why, he'll rumple all the color and booty out
o' her wings, and sting her till her blood runs pison."

Then from the tower pealed the bells.

Jonas pressed the arm of Mehetabel, and leering into her face,
said: "Come, say a word o' thanks. Better late than never. At the
last, through me, you've gotten a surname."

CHAPTER XII.

UNEXPECTED.

The wedding party was assembled at the Ship, which for this day
concerned itself not with outsiders, but provided only for such as
were invited to sit and drink, free of charge, to the health and
happiness of bride and bridegroom.

The invitation had been extended to the kinsfolk of Jonas in the
Punch-Bowl, as a matter of course; but none had accepted, one had
his farm, another his business,