Part 39 (1/2)

”What made ye in the battle?” she retorted ”Y' are of no party; y' are but a lad--but legs and body, without governht? For the love of hurt, pardy!”

”Nay,” cried dick, ”I know not But as the realht not upon the one side, perforce he ht upon the other He may not stand alone; 'tis not in nature”

”They that have no judg lady ”Ye that fight but for a hazard, what are ye but a butcher? War is but noble by the cause, and y' have disgraced it”

”Madam,” said the miserable dick, ”I do partly see mine error I have made too much haste; I have been busy before , I do swear it, to do well--and thereby brought about the death of rief and ruin of a poor old er And for this et faht about the death of your dear kinsood to me And what besides, I know not For, alas! I may have set York upon the throne, and that land O, madam, I do see my sin I am unfit for life I will, for penance sake and to avoid worse evil, once I have finished this adventure, get me to a cloister I will forswear Joanna and the trade of arood kinsman's spirit all my days”

It appeared to dick, in this extre lady had laughed

Raising his countenance, he found her looking down upon hiht, with a somewhat peculiar but not unkind expression

”Madahter to have been an illusion of his hearing, but still, fro to have touched her heart, ”ive up all to undo what I have done aham And all this upon the very day that I have won round”

”O boy,” she said--”good boy!”

And then, to the extreme surprise of dick, she first very tenderly wiped the tears away fro to a sudden impulse, threw both her arms about his neck, drew up his face, and kissed him A pitiful bewilderment came over sireat cheerfulness, ”you that are a captain, ye ham,” replied dick, ”I did but wait first upon er suffer ht of food I were better to fast, dear lady, and to pray”

”Call me Alicia,” she said; ”are we not old friends? And now, come, I will eat with you, bit for bit and sup for sup; so if ye eat not, neither will I; but if ye eat hearty, I will dine like a ploughman”

So there and then she fell to; and dick, who had an excellent storeat reluctance, but gradually, as he entered into the spirit, with ot even to watch his model, and most heartily repaired the expenses of his day of labour and exciteth, ”ye do not admire a maid in a man's jerkin?”

Theto repose the wearied horses By the ht, the still penitent but noell-fed Richard beheld her looking somewhat coquettishly down upon him

”Madam”--he stammered, surprised at this new turn in her manners

”Nay,” she interrupted, ”it skills not to deny; Joanna hath told me, but come, Sir Lion-driver, look at ht eyes at hian dick

And here again she interrupted hihter that completed his confusion and surprise

”Smallish!+” she cried ”Nay, now, be honest as ye are bold; I am a dwarf, or little better; but for all that--come, tell me!--for all that, passably fair to look upon; is't not so?”

”Nay, ht, pitifully trying to seelad to wed reed dick

”Call me Alicia,” said she

”Alicia,” quoth Sir Richard

”Well, then, lion-driver,” she continued, ”sith that ye slew my kinsman, and left me without stay, ye owe me, in honour, every reparation; do ye not?”