"
"Wed you?" exclaimed the Tinker, blinking.
"Aye, according to the ways o' the Folk--she weds us and leaves us.
Then while I was considering about running off from Peregrine and
where I should go, Peregrine goes for to run off from me, so then I
followed him, of course--and here we are!"
"Lord!" exclaimed the Tinker. "Lord love my eyes an' limbs--here's a
pretty kettle o' fish!"
"It is!" nodded Diana. "For now Peregrine wants to marry me according
to the ways o' the Church!"
"Hum!" said the Tinker, staring very hard at a piece of pork impaled
upon his knife-point. "Ha--marriage, hey, friend Peregrine? Marriage
is an oncommon serious business and you are a--leetle young for it,
ain't you?"
"I'm nineteen turned!" said I.
"And I'm fifty and more, young friend, and never found courage for it
yet--and never shall now!" Here the morsel of pork vanished and he
masticated thoughtfully. "And I suppose," said he, his keen eyes
flashing from me to Diana, "I suppose you'll be tellin' me as you're
in love and a-dyin' for each other--"
"No!" said Diana sharply.
"Of course not!" said I, imitating her tone.
"And never could be!" she added, frowning at the fire.
"Utterly impossible!" I added, frowning at her.
"Strike me pink!" ejaculated the Tinker, scratching chin with
knife-handle and staring at us in ever-deepening perplexity. "Then why
want to marry?"
"I don't!" said Diana, with the same unnecessary vehemence.
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