282 The Wife of Seven Husbands : [ Marcu, 
broken his fast, he sallied forth from his lodging in Ship-alley, near 
Tower Hille, with his parcel under one arm, and his hands tucked into 
the arm-holes of his robe to keep him warm, for although it was May, it 
was areal English, and not a mere poetical one. He arrived at Mrs. 
Alice’s door and was admitted into her presence. In the most picked | 
language he could master he excused his intrusion, relying upon the : 
slight courtesy he had happily been enabled to show her the preceding 
day ; while she was lavish in her thanks for that courtesy, and seemed 
quite as willing to overrate, as he was to lessen it: after a good long 
interchange of such civilities, he respectfully requested her examination 
of the contents of his parcel, at the same time, letting her know as much 
as he with propriety could of his situation and prospects in life: and 
when she had chosen two pieces of the bombacyne, and begged to know 
at what price they were to be purchased, he gallantly entreated her to 
receive them as a trifling token of the great esteem wherein he held 
her: this gave rise again to a great many very pretty speeches, and at 
last Mrs. Alice very graciously vouchsafed to accept his handsome pre- 
sent—and they parted mutually pleased with each other. 
He visited her however, again and again, and their liking of each 
other seemed to increase with each meeting ; for if he was charmed by 
her wit, her modesty, and her beauty, she was decidedly as much taken 
with his good looks, his open-heartedness, and his conversation :—she 
would sit for hours and hours together, listening to the strange history 
of his adventures upon the high seas, of his being chased by, and 
escaping from the pirates of the Atlantic and Mediterranean; of the 
wonders he had seen in Spain and Italy ; of his visits to Venezia and 
Genoa ; and, finding what interest she took in such relations, he un- 
doubtedly did a little amplify the truth now and then, making as much 
of an uncommon circumstance as he consistently could; though he 
never outraged veracity or her common sense’ so far as to talk of 
Anthropophagi, or of men whose heads did grow beneath their shoulders. 
In fine, so agreeable did they find each other, that as soon as decenc 
would permit, they married ; neither, it would seem, at all deterred by 
the fate that had attended all Mrs. Alice’s former husbands.. The pre- 
parations on this occasion were as splendid and expensive as possible, 
every citizen of any importance that was at all known to either of the 
parties, graced the ceremony with their august presence, bringing with 
‘them too a host of wives, sons and daughters, kinsfolk, friends and 
acquaintance. The bride wore upon her head a small cap of cloth of — 
gold, wrapped about with silken cords and stringed pearls; her gown 
was of green silk, embroidered round the neck with jewels, as was also 
her broad silver girdle ; and over all she bore a long mantle of white 
cloth, richly trimmed and figured with silver, fastened round her neck 
with thick silver cords, and lined throughout with white fur ; her shoes 
' were also of white cloth, with long points something turned up. The 
bridegroom was arrayed in.a pair of peach coloured hosen of fine cloth, — 
serving the double purpose of stockings and pantaloons, and a short — 
cointoise, or robe of crimson silk, lined with white persan, open at the 
front, and fastened with golden buttons, set upon a broad border of dark 
blue velvet, and this trimming also ornamented with similar buttons 
ran round the skirts, and wristbands of the robe ; his waist was cinct 
‘ by a golden girdle ; a small dagger hung from it, the ivory handle 
yellow velvet sheath of which were richly ornamented with preci 
