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70 Crossing the road with an unsteady gait, and uttering the while a chuckling, coarse laugh, he made his way towards the woman, who, by a quick movement, avoided his close approach.

"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