"Come in," she said. And Will Scarlet stepped into the room.

"Why, Hetty, how lovely you are making the night with that voice of
yourn. I didn't rightly catch the words nor the air--what were they?"

"Oh, words I picked up, Will. It's a way of mine never to lose either
words or air that take my fancy. But what are you doing in my room,
Will Scarlet? I thought you'd be miles away on the waves, in the 'Good
Queen Anne,' by now."

"And I wish I were, Hetty. But I've a bit of a yarn to spin on that
head. May I sit by your fire for a bit and say my say?"

"To be sure, Will. And you shall have a cup of tea with me, I'm just
making a brew. I expect I were a bit lonely at the thought of your
being so far away, cousin; and I'll say frankly I'm real glad to have
you sitting again by my fireside."

Will smiled. His likeness to Hetty was very marked at this moment,
more particularly so as on his usually careless and almost boyish face
there sat an unusual cloud of perplexity and trouble.

"The fact is, Het-I may as well have it all out at once-I'm in a bit
of a taking. I had a talk with Bet Granger last night, and I offered
to wed her. I didn't see how she could do better than to give herself
to me. I has set my heart on her for years, and I thought it would be
a kind of a help to her ef she had my name to hold on by, even if I
were away at sea. And so I thought we might be wed as soon as ever a
parson could tie us up. I hadn't much to offer her, but I were real