“Why, Ann, my lass, what’s to do that thou’rt grown too nice to give a greeting to a friend, and thy cousin to boot? Is’t for yon knave Tom thou’rt grieving? Ods life, but he’s no fit match for thee; thou’lt never wed with a landsman, thou, when there’s a better man ready, eh, lass?”
And with that he steadied himself, ran towards her, intercepted her as she would have gone through the alley between the cottages, and seized her roughly by the cloak.
“Coom, lass, no airs with me!” he said, in an angry tone, as she tried, to wrench her cloak away from his grasp. “Thou canst keep thy coyness for the soldier-chaps.”
“Have done, Ben!” cried Ann, imperiously, but in a low voice. “Dost want to have the soldiers after thee? They’re nigh enough!”
“What care I for the fules in red? or thou either, cousin Ann? Come, now, one kiss, lass, and I’ll be gone.”
Seeing that the man, who was a hulking rascal some six feet high, and broad in proportion, was plainly preparing to take by force what he could not get by coaxing, Tregenna hurried up to rescue the woman from her too persistent admirer.
To his surprise, however, before he came up with the disputants, Ann suddenly struck out with her right fist straight from the shoulder, caught the unsteady Ben unawares, and landed him flat on his back in the mud in the middle of the road.
“Well done!” cried Tregenna, involuntarily below his breath.
“Get up, Ben!” cried Ann, as it were apologetically, and without the least resentment. “Thou shouldst not ha’ crossed me, lad.”
Ben was sitting up, and swearing the most appalling oaths. Perceiving Tregenna, and hearing his ejaculation, he was seized with a sudden access of brutal ferocity; and with a yell of rage he clapped his hand to his belt, drew out one of the huge pistols he wore, and, pointing it at the lieutenant, would have fired at him, if Ann had not sprung into the middle of the roadway with astounding agility, and jerked up the weapon.