fore seen, with the rings about her shapely
bare arms and on her ankles, and thus arrayed she brings me a guitar,
and to my strumming sings a Moorish song, swaying her arms above her
head and turning gracefully in their fashion, so that all were in an
ecstasy with this strange performance. And the talk spreading, the
number of visitors grew apace,--as bees will flock to honey,--and
yielding to their urgent entreaties, she would often repeat this piece
of business, and always with a most winning grace, that charmed every
one. But she was most a favourite of gentlemen and elderly ladies; for
the younger ones she did certainly put their noses out of joint, since
none could at all compare with her in beauty nor in manner, either, for
she had neither the awkward shyness of some nor the boldness of others,
but contrived ever to steer neatly betwixt the two extremes by her
natural self-possession and fearlessness.

Of all her new friends, the most eager in courting her were Sir Harry
Upton and his lady (living in the Crays); and they, being about to go to
London for the winter, did press Moll very hard to go with them, that
she might be presented to the king; and, truth to tell, they would not
have had to ask her twice had she been governed only by her own
inclination. For she was mad to go,--that audacious spirit of adventure
still working very strong in her,--and she, like a winning gamester,
must for ever be playing for higher and higher stakes. But we, who had
heard enough of his excellent but lawless Majesty's court to fear the
fate of any impulsive, beauteous young woman that came within his sway,
were quite against this. Even Don Sanchez, who was no innocent, did
persuade her from it with good strong argument,--showing that, despite
his worldliness, he did really love her as much as 'twas in his withered
heart to love any one. As for Dawson, he declared he would sooner see
his Moll in her winding-sheet than in the king's company, adding that
'twould be time enough for her to think of going to court when she had a
husband to keep her out of mischief. And so she refused this offer (but
with secret tears, I believe). "But," says she to her father, "if I'm
not to have my own way till I'm married, I shall get me a husband as
soon as I can."

And it seemed that she would not have to look far nor wait long for one
neither. Before a month was passed, at least half a dozen young sparks
were courting her, they being attracted, n