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Rh uncultivated accents, and reply to jests that found no sympathy in her more refined sense of humor, or gossip that did not interest her. She was aroused from this revery by her lover's direct address:—

"You ought to have gone over to the Corners with me, Molly, there was so much news stirring,—about the fighting up in Canada, and all that. Say, I suppose you wouldn't let me go up there, and be a soldier, would you? not before we're married anyway, and after that I wouldn't want to go."

"Do you now?" asked Molly, with a strong flavor of scepticism in her voice.

"Well, the pay is better than for farming, especially in the winter-time; but maybe I'll make some money without risking your chance of getting a husband. They say, over at the Corners, that a big French vessel—a man-of-war—got driven up the bay by this gale; you know how it's blown for most a week; and the Johnny Crappos couldn't manage her, and she got ashore down on the Elizabeth Reefs, and just thumped to pieces there; that was last night,—no, night afore last, and they've got em all prisoners down at the fort,—that is, most all; but they think some got away: and they've offered a reward of twenty dollars a head for all that can be found and brought in before next Monday, when they're going to march em up to Boston to change off for some of our own men laid by the heels in Quebec. Now, if a fellow could find one of them lurking round, and get the twenty dollars, eh?"

"Would you sell a poor, trembling fugitive that trusted you?" asked Molly in a low voice.