When Count von Galgenstein had ridden half a mile on the Stratford
road, looking as black and dismal as Napoleon galloping from the
romantic village of Waterloo, he espied, a few score yards onwards,
at the turn of the road, a certain object which caused him to check
his horse suddenly, brought a tingling red into his cheeks, and made
his heart to go thump--thump! against his side. A young lass was
sauntering slowly along the footpath, with a basket swinging from
one hand, and a bunch of hedge-flowers in the other. She stopped
once or twice to add a fresh one to her nosegay, and might have seen
him, the Captain thought; but no, she never looked directly towards
him, and still walked on. Sweet innocent! she was singing as if
none were near; her voice went soaring up to the clear sky, and the
Captain put his horse on the grass, that the sound of the hoofs
might not disturb the music.

"When the kine had given a pailful,
And the sheep came bleating home,
Poll, who knew it would be healthful,
Went a-walking out with Tom.
Hand in hand, sir, on the land, sir,
As they walked to and fro,
Tom made jolly love to Polly,
But was answered no, no, no."

The Captain had put his horse on the grass, that the sound of his
hoofs might not disturb the music; and now he pushed its head on to
the bank, where straightway "George of Denmark" began chewing of
such a salad as grew there. And now the Captain slid off
stealthily; and smiling comically, and hitching up his great
jack-boots, and moving forward with a jerking tiptoe step, he, just