"What's the matter?" said the old man, a little testily, and pulling
at her hand. "There's no dog; or have you trodden on a thorn and
hurt your foot?"

"No, no, neighbour," she said; "but how sweet, how sweet it is!"

"Of course it is," said he, "but do you care so much for that?"

She laughed out musically, and we followed suit in our gruffer
voices; and then she said: "Of course I do, neighbour; don't you?"

"Well, I don't know," quoth the old fellow; then he added, as if
somewhat ashamed of himself: "Besides, you know, when the waters are
out and all Runnymede is flooded, it's none so pleasant."

"_I_ should like it," quoth Dick. "What a jolly sail one would get
about here on the floods on a bright frosty January morning!"

"WOULD you like it?" said our host. "Well, I won't argue with you,
neighbour; it isn't worth while. Come in and have some supper."

We went up a paved path between the roses, and straight into a very
pretty room, panelled and carved, and as clean as a new pin; but the
chief ornament of which was a young woman, light-haired and grey-
eyed, but with her face and hands and bare feet tanned quite brown
with the sun. Though she was very lightly clad, that was clearly
from choice, not from poverty, though these were the first cottage-
dwellers I had come across; for her gown was of silk, and on her
wrists were bracelets that seemed to me of great value. She was
lying on a sheep-skin near the window, but jumped up as soon as we