"You pays over to old Azor fourteen guineas, a florin,
one groat and three pennies."
"The act was slightly involuntary, as I remember!" said I.
"Talk plain, young man, talk plain! You buys me, and what's more, old
Azor weds us and makes me your mort according to the law o' the Folk."
"But not according to the laws of the English Church," said I, "and I
am not one of the Folk. So you are quite free: the words of old Azor
cannot bind me--"
"But they do bind me, young man, now and hereafter. Besides, you have
bought me away from the tribe and I may never go back and you can
never leave me solitary."
Here I groaned and she sighed, but with that quiver of red lips that
might mean tears or laughter.
"A truly terrible situation!" said I.
"It is, young man, it is! Though it might ha' been worse."
"How so?"
"Well, though I have no liking for you, neither your looks, nor your
ways, nor your talk, you are better than Bennigo and Jochabed that are
very brute beasts."
Now at this I leapt to my feet and, turning on indignant heel, strode
off, but soon she was up with me and together we presently came out
into the high road. And now as she went beside me I saw with added
misgiving that the sun was already westering.
CHAPTER XIV
IN WHICH I SATISFY MYSELF OF MY COWARDICE
After we had walked thus in silence for may be a mile or more, she
spoke.
"Where are you taking me?" she demanded.
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