"Married man or mar--"

Crash!

His heels flew up and his head struck the bottom-boards. Then, in a
moment, the boat was gone, and a rush of water sang in his ears and
choked him. He saw a black shadow overhanging, and clutched at it.


Mistress Prudence stood in her doorway on the quay, as Master Simon
had left her. In the room above, the waitress blew out her candle,
drew up the blind, and opened her window to the moonlight.

"Selina!" the mistress called.

Selina thrust out her head.

"What's that coming down the river?"

A black, unshapely mass was moving swiftly down towards the quay.

"I think 'tis a haystack," Selina whispered, and then, "Lord save us
all, there's a man on it!"

"A man?" cried the widow, shrilly. "What man?"

A voice answered the question, calling for help out of the river--a
voice that she knew.

"What is it?" she called back.