“What does it want?” questioned Mrs. Stokes; “me to give a rendezvous at de stile?”

“Yes,” rejoined Ned; “you to go to the stile.”

“De people is mad!” exclaimed poor Laurette. “Dere’s your masterre”—

“Master’s jealous!” cried Ned.

“And dis wicked man?”

“He’s in love!”

“De people is fools!” exclaimed poor Laurette. “De people is mad! But I’ll go to de stile—and Nède, you and Nèpe shall go too.” And so it was settled.

Nine o’clock came, and the party set off. And about five minutes past nine Nanny Sims met Adam near the towing-path.

“Do you want your wife, Master Stokes?” quoth the crone. “Are you looking for Gilbert? I saw them both but now, one a little way on this side of the stile, the other a little beyond. They’ll have met by this time.” And without pausing for an answer, on she went.

Adam pursued his walk with furious strides, and paused as he came within sight of the place, considering in which way he had best announce his presence. The supposed lovers had not yet met; but in an instant Gilbert jumped over the stile, and caught hold of Laurette; and in another instant the active Frenchwoman escaped from his arms, gave him a box on the ear that almost upset him, called to “Nède” and “Nèpe,” both which trusty adherents lay in ambush by the wayside, and poured forth such a flood of scolding in French and broken English, mingled with occasional cuffs, the dog barking and Ned laughing the whilst, that the discomfited gallant fairly took to his heels, and fled. In his way, however, he encountered Adam, who, without wasting a word upon the matter, took him up in one hand and flung him into the Kennet.

“A ducking ’ill do him no harm,” quoth Adam: “he can swim like a fish; and if I catch Nanny Sims, I’ll give her a taste of cold water, too,” added the fisherman, hugging his pretty wife, who was now sobbing on his bosom; “and I deserve to be ducked myself for mistrusting of thee, like a land-lubber; but if ever I sarve thee so again,” continued he, straining her to his honest bosom—“if ever I sarve thee so again, may I have a round dozen the next minute, and be spliced to Nanny Sims into the bargain.”