"That," she said, pulling the right, "is for listening to the little cat over the way that squalls on the tiles! And that" (giving the other a sound tug) "is for being a dandiprat when my gossip Katrin was here!"
She paused a moment as if to summon courage, and then she stooped quickly and kissed me on the neck.
"And that for Michael Texel!" she cried, and ran out of the room before I could get clear of the wide arms of the chair, and so run after and catch her.
She turned in the doorway and wafted me a kiss from her finger-tips, airily and a little mockingly.
"That for Hugo Gottfried!" she said, and was off to her own chamber with the frou-frou of a light skirt, the slam of a door, and the shooting of a bolt.
And after all this, it was heart's pity that ever anything should have come between us again, even for a moment.
Though, indeed, it was but for a moment.
CHAPTER XVI
TWO WOMEN—AND A MAN
It was the forenoon of a Sunday, a dull, sleepy time in all countries, and one difficult to get overpast. I was as usual busy with my accoutrement, recently bought with the loan of Master Gerard. The Little Playmate was just returned from the cathedral, and had indeed scarcely laid her finery aside, when there came a loud knocking at the outer gate of the Red Tower. Then one of the guard tramped stolidly from the wicket to the door of our dwelling.