"Fair lady," said the gay cavalier, "I am not more bold than my vocation
holdeth meet. Your cousin, at Myerscough, was so liberal of his own
suit, and my countenance therein, that he hath entrusted this
love-billet to my keeping, warning me that I should let none but
yourself be privy to its delivery."
"Would that my cousin had eschewed letter-writing! I am averse to his
suit, and yet he ceaseth not to vex me continually with his drivelling
ditties. His ballad-mongering to these 'eyne' alone would set up one of
your court rhymesters for a twelvemonth."
"Yet may aversion cease, and your mislikings be not over difficult to
assuage," said the courtier.
"I doubt not but Sir John Finett speaks of the capricious and changeable
humours he hath witnessed;--our country fashion holdeth not so lightly
by its affection or disfavour."
"Then there be doubtless of those stout vessels that shall never leak
out a lady's favour. That this lot were mine!"
Sir John, perhaps unconsciously, threw his dark eyes full upon the lady,
who blushed deeply; but the gloom concealed this outward show of
feeling, too unformed and indefinite for thought.
Pages:
517
518
519
520
521
522
523
524
525
526
527
528
529
530
531
532
533
534
535
536
537
538
539
540
541