“’Tis a strange matter,” saith Father, “that we men should be all of us unable to guess how other men can affect that we love not. I dare be bound that Wat should say what passed him was that any man which might dwell on the land should take to the sea.”
“Wat!” saith Ned, curling of his lip. “I saw him, Sir, and spent two days in his company, when we touched at London some eight months gone. Why, he is—Nay, I wis not what he is like. All the popinjays in the South Seas be fools to him.”
“Is he so fine, Ned?” asks Milly.
“Fine!” saith Ned. “Go to, I have some whither an inventory of his Lordship’s garments, the which I set down for the mirth of you maids. I gat the true names of Wat, look you.”
And he pulleth forth a great bundle of papers from his pocket, and after some search lighteth on the right.
“Now then, hearken, all of you,” saith Ned. “Imprimis, on his head—when it is on, but as every minute off it cometh to every creature he meeteth, ’tis not much—a French-fashioned beaver, guarded of a set of gold buttons enamelled with black—cost, eight pound.”
“For a hat!” cries Milly.
“Tarry a bit,” saith Ned; “I am not in port yet by a thousand knots. Then in this hat was a white curled ostrich feather, six shillings. Below, a gown of tawny velvet, wherein were six yards, London measure, of four-and-twenty shillings the yard: and guarded with some make of fur (I forgat to ask him the name of that), two dozen skins, eight pence each: cost of this goodly gown, six pound, ten shillings, and four pence.”
“Eh!” cried Milly and Edith together.
“Bide a bit!” saith Ned. “Item, a doublet, of black satin of sixteen shillings the yard, with points of three and sixpence the dozen. Item, a pair of hose of popinjay green (they be well called popinjay) of thirty shillings. Item, cross-garters of scarlet—how’s that?” quoth Ned, scratching his forehead with a pencil: “I must have forgat the price o’ them. Boots o’ red Spanish leather, nine shillings. Gloves of Cordova, well scented, ten pence. Gold rings of ’s ears, three shilling the pair.”