Page:The Way of a Virgin.djvu/44

Rh The merchant's daughter, back in her home, had no thought in her head but to wed the young peasant; several rich merchants sought her hand in marriage, but she would have none of them.

"I will wed with none save this young man," quoth she.

Her father and mother sought to dissuade her. "What art thinking on, foolish one?" said they. "Come back to thy senses! Why wouldst wed with a poor peasant?"

"Concern not yourselves with that!" answered she. "'Tis not ye who will have to live with him!"

The merchant's daughter came to an understanding with the matchmaker, and dispatched her to tell the young man to come without fail and ask her hand in marriage. The matchmaker went to see him, saying:

"Hearken, oh! my little dove. Why standest there gaping? Go ask in marriage the merchant's daughter. She hath awaited thee this long time, and will wed thee with joy."

The young man swiftly apparelled himself, donned a new smock-frock, took his new hat, and hied him forthwith to the house of the merchant to ask his daughter's hand in marriage. When the merchant's daughter perceived him, when she recognised that it was indeed he whose yard reached to his knees, she fell to asking her father and mother for their blessing on a union indissoluble.

On the wedding night she went to bed with her husband, and perceived that he had but a little yard, smaller even than a finger.

"Oh! thou scoundrel!" she cried. "Thou boastest ownership of a yard reaching to thy knees! What hast done with it?"