"Not so much alone as I am," said the priest: "nor half so unfortunate."
And with this he leaned his head despairingly on his hand, and motioned to Ryder to leave him.
"Here's a couple of fools," said she to herself, as she went home.
That very evening Thomas Leicester caught her alone, and asked her to marry him.
She stared at first, and then treated it as a jest.
"You come at the wrong time, young man," said she. "Marriage is put out of countenance. No, no, I will never marry, after what I have seen in this house."
Leicester would not take this for an answer, and pressed her hard.
"Thomas," said this plausible jade, "I like you very well; but I couldn't leave my mistress in her trouble. Time to talk of marrying when master comes here alive and well."
"Nay," said Leicester, "my only chance is while he is away: you care more for his little finger than for my whole body; that they all say."
"Who says?"