It was then that Big French remembered the flannel he had bought and handed it to Sue with another little bundle which he had bought from a gypsy.
Sue hastened away to open it, and it being dinnertime the company slowly dwindled off until there was only the usual household and the young giant left to partake of the meal together. This was speedily served by Anny and Hal, who were now on the best of terms.
Sue came downstairs a few seconds later, blushing and smiling, with a string of blue beads round her neck, and French shuffled, reddened, and choked over his broth when he saw her so that everyone looked at him and then at her and smiled at one another knowingly.
Old Gilbot began to sing “Mary Loo,” but soon gave it up and took to his rumkin.
After dinner, the delf being cleared away, Anny went up to her room, which was also Sue’s, and sat down on her bed. She thought of Black’erchief Dick and his brig and began to picture to herself the scene on board the Coldlight when she would change its name to her own. Then she sighed. She looked down at her shabby kirtle and passed her hand over its holes and stains. Downstairs she could hear Big French’s deep voice raised as though pleadingly and could catch Sue’s high, sweet, giggling replies. She turned over on the bed and lay face downward for a few seconds, then she sat up and began hastily to re-arrange her hair. On Sue’s bed she saw the flannel spread out, and she went over softly to have a look at it. It seemed very coarse and ugly when she mentally compared it to the honey-coloured silk or the wide green frieze which she had sent back to Dick in the sail-cloth bundle. And she found herself wishing that Hal had money like French and Dick, but she checked herself and blushed at her own greediness, as she termed it. She sat down on her bed again, sighing as she did so, and Sue, coming up some while later, finding her still there, took pity on her shabbiness and gave her the purple gown that Anny had wished for so long, and was then amazed to see the usually so grateful, peaceable little girl cast the old garment from her and, throwing herself on the bare boards, sob till the elder girl feared for her health.
CHAPTER X
AFTER his conversation with Black’erchief Dick, Blueneck found leisure to attend to his own amours. He first retired to the brig where, with the help of Habakkuk Coot, he arrayed himself in his best clothes, tied the knee-latchets of his breeches with bright-coloured tapes, and borrowed a brilliant red-and-green kerchief from out poor Mat Turnby’s bundle, and then, after carefully tying the length of cherry ribbon, which had cost him much time and trouble to procure, in a piece of muslin, he stowed the packet in one of his big side pockets and started out for Joe Pullen’s house.
He had some little way to go, as the Pullens’ cottage was situated slightly to the north of the church, and that was about a mile and a half from the point where the brig was moored. He walked along cheerfully, whistling a chanty, and mentally rehearsing the speech which he intended to make to Mistress Amy when presenting the ribbon.
In spite of the time of year, the late afternoon sun shone brightly on the wet grass and there was a touch of spring in the air.
On nearing the cottage he stopped to see if he still had the little muslin packet, and, feeling it still there, strolled nonchalantly up to the door and knocked loudly.