The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-14

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made, believe. in Morocco by the Moors
a third had a gold ring on his finger
everybody knows the eXtravagancies o
sailors-which he drew off and placed il
| her hand. Another offered a glass o
punch. The little maid did what she ha,
so often seen the captain do. She LOOKED
round and said, Your good health, al
the company" and put her lips to th'
glass, which she then returned. AnC
another offered to dance, and the fiddler
drew his bow across the catgut. 1t is
a sound which inclines the heart to beat
and the feet to move whenever sailor
| hears it.
Il have often seen you dance" said
Molly. Let the fiddler play, and yot
| shall see me dance.
l never thought She would have had
| so much spirit. for, you see, | had taught
her to dance the hornpipe. Every boy
| in a seaport town can dance the horn
pipe. We used to make music out of a
| piece of thin paper laid over a tortoise
| shell comb-it must be comb of vide
| teeth. and none of them must be broke n
| and with this instead of a fiddle we
| would dance in the garden or in the
| parlor. But to stand up before whole
company of sailors! Who would have
| thought it? However, she jumped up and
on the table performed her dance with
| great seriousness and so gracefully that
they were all enchanted They stood
| around. their mouths open, broad grin
| on every face. The women, neglected.
| huddled together in a corner and were
| quite silent.
| When shc had finished. she gathered
| up her gifts-the silk handkerchief-it
came from Calicut-the sweetmeats from
Morocco, the gold ring from | know not
where. Put me down, If you please.
she said. So one of them gently lifted
her to the ground. II thank you all,
she courtesied very prettily. Il wish YOU
good night and when you set sail again
"A good voyage"
CHAPTER ".
THE SPA
Vendors fiocked into the town. AT the
outset, though the pumproom was full
every morning and the gardens and the
long room in the evening were well at
tended the spa lacked animation. The
music pleased. the singers pleased. the
colored lamps dangled In chains between
the branches and pleased, yet the COM
pany was dun. There was little noise of
conversation and no mirth or laughter;
the family groups were not broken up:
the people looked at each other and walk
ed round and round in silence. After the
first round or So when ey had seen all
the dresses, the girls .rs1IIed and want
ed to sit down. To me is was amusing
only to see the peopa n heir fine dresses
marching round and ROUND while the mu-
sic played, trailing heir skirts on the
floor, swinging their hoops and handling
their fans; for the lack of young men
talking to the clergy from the cathedrals
and the colleges. and casting at each 9TH
er glances of envy If one was better
dressed or of scorn when one was worse
dressed than themselves.
As for the men-"Jack," said Captain
Crowle. Il keep looking about me. 1 try
the pumproom in the morning, the ordi-
nary at dinner, the taverns after dinner.
My lad, there is not one among them all
who is fit to be mated with our Molly.
Gentlemen, are they? L like not the
manner of these gentlemen. They are
mostly young, but drink hard already.
Their faces are red and swollen at TWEEN
ty-five. What will they be at forty? My
girl shall marry none of them. nor shall /
she dance with them. She shall stay at
home
In fact, during the first week OF two /
after the opening of the spa Molly re-
NAMED at home and was not seen in the |
ong room or in the gardens.
The town was nearly full. many of the |
visitors having to put up with mean
lodgings in the crazy old courts. of which |
here are so many in Lynn. when the first
arrival from London took place. 1t was
hat of a clergyman named Benjamin
Purdon Arthur Msgister, formerly of
Trinity College, Cambridge. He was a
nan of insignificant presence. his figure
'eing small and thin. but finely dressed.
Ills head was almost hidden by a full
ecclesiastical wig. Apparently he was be-
ween forty and fifty years of age. He
ooked about him and surveyed the com
'any with an air of superiority, as if he
lad been person of rank.
he came to us down the river by tilt
'oat from Cambridge aand accepted con-
entediy quite an humble lodging barely
furnished with a chair and flock bed.
Humility becomes divine" he said in a
Ugh authoritative voice. THE room will
erye. A coal fire and an open window
will remove the mustiness" He was per-
APPS, though we must allow a good deal
o his profession, too fond of preaching 4
lie preached in the morning at the pump
DOM.
II was presently learned that Mr.. Pur-
on had offered to take the services at I
L. Nicholas for few weeks in order to |
nable the curate to attend the bedside
T dying parent He undertook this duty
'ithout asking for any fee or pay, fact
fhich greatly increased his reputation {
A day or two after Mr.. Purdon's arri- ]
al came carriage and four containing a ! 4
cry line lady indeed, with her maid and
er man. She drove to the Crown, the
eople all looking after her. A large coat
f-arms was emblazoned on the door of
er carriage. with a coronet and support I
s. Her man was dressed in a noble liv- {
y OF pale green. with scarlet pants. j
tile crowd gathered round the door of c
lie Crown while the footman held the r
Dor open, and the lady spoke with the d
ndIord
Sir" she said. inclining her her gra- d
ousiy and smiling upon the crowd, Il
ave been directed to ask for thy good I
hces in procuring a lodging. ! am a /
mple person; but body must have 9
eanlinesI and room to turn about" q
Madam" said the landlord, There is q
1T one lodging in the town which is wor- S
" of your ladyship. j have myself c
ross the market place a house which
'ntains three or four rooms These 1 I C
ould submit TO your ladyship's consid- e
alton" o
This was an excellent beginning. The
dy TOOK the rooms at the rent proposed |
I'd without haggling. There were two p
,drooms Tor herself and her maid and y
lie room IN which she could sit The man \
und lodgings elsewhere. 1t appeared e
ON his statement that his mistress was
me other than the Lady Anastasia, IL
dow of the late Lord Langston and sis
r of the living Earl of Seisey 1t was h
erefore quite true. as Sam Semple had '
ihounced, tEat persons OF quality We're n
ming to the spa
The Lady Anastasia at this time was 4
'out twenty-six years of age. hand d
me woman still. though no longer in the g
ST flush of her beauty. Her dress as |
III as her manner proclaimed the wo- ~
an OF fashion. j confess that as a sim II
: sailor, one who could not pretend 10 III
a gentleman and had never before seen -
woman OF rank, much less coEyersed II
IN one was quite ready. after she had
nored me with a few words of conde- M
.nsion ana Kindness, to become her 81
we. She could bear herself with the u
latest dignity and even severity. as Ger &C
n ladies discovered who presumed Unon ~
r Kindness and assumed Familiarity l