Butter, a new loaf, ham and eggs and coffee! What hungry mortals could
desire more? And now the Tinker and I, sitting side by side in the
leafy shade, watched our Diana who, scornful of all assistance,
prepared breakfast with her own quick, capable hands.
What words are there may adequately describe this meal? With what
appetite we ate, all three; how we talked and laughed for small reason
or no reason at all.
"Lord, Ann!" exclaimed the Tinker, glancing from the piece of ham on
his knife point to Diana's stately beauty.
"'Tis wonderful what two years can do! You don't need any book of
etiquette these days--you look so proud, so noble--aye, as any duchess
in a nov-el or out! Lord love you, Ann, it don't seem right any more
as you should be a-drinkin' coffee out of a tin mug along of a
travellin' tinker in patched breeches, that it don't! I reckon you've
seen a lot o' the grand world an' plenty o' fine folk, eh Ann?"
"Enough to know the simpler joys are always the best, dear Jerry, and
to love the Silent Places more than ever. And as for you, Jerry, there
never was such a tinker before--"
"And never will be again!" I added.
"And so we mean to stay with you awhile, don't we, Peregrine?"
"Excellent!" said I. "We will shift camp to the old place--"
"The little wood beside the stream beyond Wyvelstoke," said Diana
softly, "that dear place where Love found us--in the dawn--and you
clasped the little locket about my neck, Peregrine.
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