k as the bride's looked white.
The night about the newly-wedded pair was one great din and flutter.

Then in a trice the dancers all lost breath, and the dance parted as
they staggered aside; and at the door of the shed Young Gerard stood,
and gazed through the broken revel at little Thea, and she stood gazing
at him. And behind and above him, along the walls of the hut, and over
the doorway, and making lovely the very roof, she saw a cloud of
snowwhite blossom.

Somebody cried, "Here's a boy. He shall dance too. Boy, is there drink
within?"

The others took up the clamor. "Drink! bring us something to drink!"

"The red grape!" cried one.

"The yellow grape!" cried another.

"The sap of the apple!"

"The juice of the pear!"

"Nut-brown ale!"

"The spirit that burns!"

"Bring us drink!" they cried in a breath.

"Will you have milk?" said Young Gerard.

At this the company burst into a roar of laughter. They laughed till
they rocked. But when they were silent little Thea spoke. She said in a
faint clear voice:

"I would like a cup of milk."

Young Gerard went into the hut and came out with his wooden cup filled
with milk, and brought it to her, and she drank. None spoke or moved
while she drank, but when she gave him the cup again one of the crew
said chuckling, "Now she has drunk, now she's merrier. Try her again,
Rough, try her on milk!"

Again the night reeled with their laughter. They surrounded the wedded
pair crying, "Kiss her! kiss her! kiss her!" Then the Rough Master of
Coates pulled her round to him, dark with anger, and tried to kiss her.
But she turned sharply in his arms, bending her head away. And despite
his force, and though he was a man and she little more than a child, he
could not make her mouth meet his. And the laughter of the guests rose
higher, and infuriated him.

Then he who had spoken before said, "By Hymen, the bride should kiss
something. If the lord's not good enough, let her kiss the churl!" At
this the revelers, wild with delight, beat on their trenchers and
shouted, "Ay, let her!"

And suddenly they surged in, parting Thea from the Rough; while some
pulled him back others dragged Young Gerard forward, till he stood
where the bridegroom had stood; and in that seething throng of mockery
he felt her clinging helplessly to him, and his arm went round her.

"Kiss him! kiss him! kiss him!" cried the guests.

She looked up pitifully at him, and he bent his head. And she h