Page:The Dark Frigate (Hawes).djvu/74

with ill grace the jeers of the urchins that had assembled to do him honour; but when Martin saw the fellow he looked a second time and turned very hastily round. Straightway seizing Phil by the arm he whispered hoarsely, ‘‘Come now, we must hie us away again, and that speedily.”

‘‘Why in so great haste?” Phil returned. "Here is a pleasant jest. Let us stay a while. Who knows but some day we may ourselves sit in the bilboes and yonder ballad-maker may take his fill of pleasure at our misfortune. Why, then, turn about is fair play. Let us enjoy his while there’s time.” And he waited with quiet glee for Martin’s angry reply.

“Fool!” Martin whispered. ‘‘Stay and be hanged, an thou wilt.”

Thereupon Martin posted in all haste back the way he had come and Phil, of no mind to be left now, since they had journeyed together thus far, followed at his heels with a curiosity that he was intent on satisfying.

“'Sin,’ according to the proverb,” he called after Martin, ‘‘‘begins with an itch and ends with a scar,’ but methinks thy scars, which are numerous, are all an-itch.”

“Hist, fool,” Martin snarled. ‘‘Be still! For ha’pence I’d slit thy throat to still thy tongue. I swear I can already feel the hemp at my weasand. It burns and spreads like a tetter.” And he made haste up out of the town till despite his great weight and short wind he had Phil puffing at his heels.

“This is queer talk of ropes and hangings. It buzzeth through thy noddle like bees in clover. In faith, though thy folly be great, yet it sorely presses upon thee, for I have seldom seen a man walk faster. Yet at thine