money. His trade had been a profitable one in the time of King
Henry the Eighth, who encouraged English archery to the utmost, and
he had been prudent and discreet. Thus it came to pass that
Mistress Alice, his only daughter, was the richest heiress in all
his wealthy ward. Young Hugh had often maintained with staff and
cudgel that she was the handsomest. To do him justice, I believe
she was.

If he could have gained the heart of pretty Mistress Alice by
knocking this conviction into stubborn people's heads, Hugh would
have had no cause to fear. But though the Bowyer's daughter smiled
in secret to hear of his doughty deeds for her sake, and though her
little waiting-woman reported all her smiles (and many more) to
Hugh, and though he was at a vast expense in kisses and small coin
to recompense her fidelity, he made no progress in his love. He
durst not whisper it to Mistress Alice save on sure encouragement,
and that she never gave him. A glance of her dark eye as she sat
at the door on a summer's evening after prayer-time, while he and
the neighbouring 'prentices exercised themselves in the street with
blunted sword and buckler, would fire Hugh's blood so that none
could stand before him; but then she glanced at others quite as
kindly as on him, and where was the use of cracking crowns if
Mistress Alice smiled upon the cracked as well as on the cracker?

Still Hugh went on, and loved her more and more. He thought of her
all day, and dreamed of her all night long. He treasured up her
every word and gesture, and had a palpitation of the heart whenever
he heard her footstep on the stairs or her voice in an adjoining
room. To him, the old Bowyer's house was haunted by an angel;
there was enchantment in the air and space in which she moved. It