in his arms and printed a loud, smacking kiss upon the fair girl's
cheek.

"There," said he, "I'll warrant me thou wert longing for it; come now,
confess."

Dorothy disdained any such idea.

"Nay," she replied, "I was but thinking of the poor pedlar. I had
bought these from him only the day before," and she pointed to a
little heap of silks which lay upon the table.

"I had come to talk it over with thee, Doll," replied the baron as he
sat himself comfortably down upon a chair. "I think it was a robbery,
eh?"

"Yes," slowly replied the maiden, "I should think so, too. Meg and I
paid him six nobles."

"And only two were found."

"Only two?" asked Dorothy.

"That is all," replied the knight. "The knaves must have made off with
the rest. That ill-favoured locksmith would be as likely a rascal as
any; I must examine him."

"Nay, that cannot be, he was all day in the stocks."

Sir George scratched his head in despair. He had privately determined