THE MILKMAID. 43 



" Three and a half pounds ! How lovely ! " she exclaimed, 

 rapturously. " But he's mine, you know. How shall we carry 

 him home ? He's much too big to go into your little basket " 



" I know ! " cried she, suddenly seized with an idea. " Put 

 him into my empty milk-pail. He won't hurt it." 



I looked first longingly at my lusty captive, then at my fair 

 enchantress. Half-grudgingly, half-sorrowfully, I meekly obeyed 

 her command. 



For a time we stood in silence, I with my head awhirl with 

 confused thoughts, she with her large dark eyes regarding the 

 noble fish reposing in her pail. 



" Thank you ever so much for catching my trout," presently 

 she said ; " it is so good of you." 



I did not answer : words had failed me. 



" But you may have a little return for your trouble and kind- 

 ness," she continued, nestling gently against me and holding up her 

 lovely face towards mine 



All my confirmed and long-honoured conceptions of a maiden's 

 modesty and bashfulness especially of a country maiden's were 

 shattered and rendered illusive at once by so naive an invitation. 

 But that beautiful face was upturned so gracefully, so pleadingly, 

 and those full, shapely, ruby lips were so beseechingly placed in 

 readiness, that my shock yielded to the inveiglements of tempt- 

 ation. 



I stooped and 



