The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-02-15
THE COUNTESS.

Few rivers in England are without their
Lovers Leap; but the tradition of thi:
one is singular. / believe. IL overhangs Z
dark pool, midway down west country
valley-a sheer escarpment of granite. it!
lip lying but stones throw from the high
road, that here finds its descent broken by
a stiff knoll, over which 1t rises and top
pies again like wave.
had drawn two shining peel out Of the
pool, and sat eating my lunch on the edge
of the Leap, with my back to the road
Forty feet beneath ME the water lay black
aud glossy, behind the dotted foliage of 6
birch tree. by rod stuck upright from the
turf at my elbow, and whenever | TUNED
my head neatly bisected the countenanct
and upper half OF Seth 1ruscott, an indi.
genons gentleman of miscellaneous habit:
and predatory past, who had followed me
that morning to carry the landing-net
1t was he who. after lunch, impaired the
story of the rock on which we sat; aud as II
seemed at the time to gain some what by the
telling.I will not risk defaciDg it by med
ding with his dialect.
Il reckon, sir" he began, with an upward
nod at belt of larches. the fringe of q
great estate, that closed the view at the
head of the vale, "vou'm too young to mind
tn ould Earl o Belarmine. that owned
Castle CannIck, up yonder, in my CROWN
days. 'Ould Wounds he was nicknamed-
a cribbage-taced. what-the-blaZes kind o
varmint, WI gossan wig an tongue like
oil o. vitriol. he'd a-ied the iorehalf o his
lite, b'lieve, in London church-town, by
reason that he an his father coulfn' be left
in a room together wi'out comm to isti-
cuffs; an by all accounts was fashions
favorite in the naughty city, dom his duty
in that state O. life an playing Hamlets
ghost among the len Commandments.
"The upshot was that he killed young
gentleman over game o. whist, an that
was too much even for the Lendoners. So
he packed up and sailed for furrin' parts,
an ddn' show his face in England till tn
ould man, his father. was took wi a seizure
an went dead, bein' palsied down half his
face, but workin' away to the end at the
most Iift-your-hair wlckedness wi the
sound side of his mouth.
"Then the new Earl turned up an settled
at Castle Cannick. He was Wireless man,
an, by the look OF, had given up all wish
TO coax the female eye; for he dressed no
better'n jockey, an all his diversion was
to ride in to Tregarrck Market o. Satur.
DAYS an hang round the doorway o. the
Packhorse Iun, by A. Walters, and glover al
the men an women passin' up and down
the Fore street, an stand drlnkin brandy
an water while the horse jockeys there my
lorded 'en. Two an twenty glasses, they
gay. was his quantum between noon an
O'Clock; an then he'd cline into saddle an
ride home to his jeweled fourposter, cursin'
an muttern', but sittin' his mare like man
of iron.
But one o. these fine market-days he did
a thing that filed the mouths o. the coun-
tryside.
HE was loafin' by the Packhorse door
Just as usual, at o'clock, Tappin' the head
o. his crop on the side o. his ridin' boots
DRAWN his brows down and lookin' ou
curses from under 'em across the street tC
the saddler's opposite, when two drovel
chaps came up the pavement WI woman
atween 'em.
THE woman-or maid, to call her by hel
proper title-was o daIk-brOwed slut, wi
eyes like sloes, an hair dragged over hel
face till she looked like an owl in an ivy
bush. As for the gown o. her twas nc
better n sack tied round the middle wi {
brave piece torn away by the shoulder
where one o. the men had clawed her.
"There was pretty dido goin' on atween
the dree, an all talkin' together. the tive
men mobbn' each other. an the girl L The
middle calm EN- every name but what they
| was chris'ened, wpout distinction o per
| sons, as the word goes.
! M"'What's the uproar?' asks Onld
| Wounds, stoppin' the tap-tap o. his crop q:
| they comes up.
"'The woman b'longs to me- says the
| first. I've engaged to make her my Lawful
wife, an won't 60 from my word unde
| two gallon o. fourpenny.'
"sYou agreed to hand her over for on
gallon first along says t'other. AN a bar
| gains bargain
Says the woman: You're pair o. bair
splitting shammicks, the pair OF zee. An