MA’M’SELLE CICELY CAREW 109

spite of all the candles it was dark; and, coming forward,
the master-player held out his hands in a most genial way.
“Come, lad, thy hand—’t is spoken like a gentleman.
Nay, I will kiss thee—for I love thee, Nick, upon my word,
and on the remnant of mine honour!” Taking the boy’s
half-unwilling hands in his own, he stooped and kissed
him upon the forehead.

“Father,” said Cicely, gravely, “hast thou forgotten
me?”

“Nay, sweetheart, nay,” cried Carew, with a wonderful
laugh that somehow warmed the cockles of Nick’s forlorn
heart; and turning quickly, the master-player caught up
the little maid and kissed her again and again, so tenderly
that Nick was amazed to see how one so cruel could be so
kind, and how so good a little maid could love so bad a
man; for she twined her arms about his neck, and then
lay back with her head upon his shoulder, purring like a
kitten in his arms. ;

“Father,” said she, patting his cheek, “some one hath
told him naughty things of thee. Come, daddy, say they
are not so!”

The master-player’s face turned red as flame. He
coughed and looked up among the roof-beams. “ Why,
of course they ’re not,” said he, uneasily.

“There, boy!” cried she; “I told thee so. Why,
daddy, think!—they said that thou hadst stolen him
away from his own mother, and wouldst not leave him
go ! ”

“Hollo!” ejaculated the master-player, abruptly, witha