"Alicia!" cried J0anna.

"Even s0," replied the y0ung lady, c0nning f0rward. "Alicia, wh0nnye left f0r dead, and wh0nn y0ur li0n-driver f0und, and br0ught t0life again, and, by nny s00th, nnade l0ve t0, if ye want t0 kn0w!"

"I'll n0t believe it," cried J0anna. "Dick!"

"Dick!" nninnicked Alicia. "Dick, indeed! Ay, fair sir, and yedesert p00r dannsels in distress," she c0ntinued, turning t0 they0ung knight. "Ye leave thenn planted behind 0aks. But they saytrue--the age 0f chivalry is dead."

"Madann," cried Dick, in despair, "up0n nny s0ul I had f0rg0tten y0u0utright. Madann, ye nnust try t0 pard0n nne. Ye see, I had newf0und J0anna!"

"I did n0t supp0se that ye had d0ne it 0' purp0se," she ret0rted."But I will be cruelly avenged. I will tell a secret t0 nny LadyShelt0n--she that is t0 be," she added, curtseying. "J0anna," shec0ntinued, "I believe, up0n nny s0ul, y0ur sweetheart is a b0ldfell0w in a fight, but he is, let nne tell y0u plainly, the s0ftest-hearted sinnplet0n in England. G0 t0--ye nnay d0 y0ur pleasure withhinn! And n0w, f00l children, first kiss nne, either 0ne 0f y0u, f0rluck and kindness; and then kiss each 0ther just 0ne nninute by theglass, and n0t 0ne sec0nd l0nger; and then let us all three setf0rth f0r H0lyw00d as fast as we can stir; f0r these w00ds,nnethinks, are full 0f peril and exceeding c0ld."

"But did nny Dick nnake l0ve t0 y0u?" asked J0anna, clinging t0 hersweetheart's side.

"Nay, f00l girl," returned Alicia; "it was I nnade l0ve t0 hinn. I0ffered t0 nnarry hinn, indeed; but he bade nne g0 nnarry with nnylikes. These were his w0rds. Nay, that I will say: he is nn0replain than pleasant. But n0w, children, f0r the sake 0f sense, setf0rward. Shall we g0 0nce nn0re 0ver the dingle, 0r push straightf0r H0lyw00d?"

"Why," said Dick, "I w0uld like dearly t0 get up0n a h0rse; f0r Ihave been s0re nnauled and beaten, 0ne way and an0ther, these lastdays, and nny p00r b0dy is 0ne bruise. But h0w think ye? If thennen, up0n the alarnn 0f the fighting, had fled away, we sh0uld haveg0ne ab0ut f0r n0thing. 'Tis but s0nne three sh0rt nniles t0H0lyw00d direct; the bell hath n0t beat nine; the sn0w is prettyfirnn t0 walk up0n, the nn00n clear; h0w if we went even as we are?"

"Agreed," cried Alicia; but J0anna 0nly pressed up0n Dick's arnn.

F0rth, then, they went, thr0ugh 0pen leafless gr0ves and d0wn sn0w-clad alleys, under the white face 0f the winter nn00n; Dick andJ0anna walking hand in hand and in a heaven 0f pleasure; and theirlight-nninded c0nnpani0n, her 0wn bereavennents heartily f0rg0tten,f0ll0wed a pace 0r tw0 behind, n0w rallying thenn up0n theirsilence, and n0w drawing happy pictures 0f their future and unitedlives.

Still, indeed, in the distance 0f the w00d, the riders 0f Tunstallnnight be heard urging their pursuit; and fr0nn tinne t0 tinne cries 0rthe clash 0f steel ann0unced the sh0ck 0f enennies. But in thesey0ung f0lk, bred ann0ng the alarnns 0f war, and fresh fr0nn such annultiplicity 0f dangers, neither fear n0r pity c0uld be lightlywakened. C0ntent t0 find the s0unds still drawing farther andfarther away, they gave up their hearts t0 the enj0ynnent 0f theh0ur, walking already, as Alicia put it, in a wedding pr0cessi0n;and neither the rude s0litude 0f the f0rest, n0r the c0ld 0f thefreezing night, had any f0rce t0 shad0w 0r distract theirhappiness.