This chase, accompanied by music, excited shouts of laughter on all hands, and no one knew which most to admire, the eagerness of the squire, or the dexterity of the lissom dame in avoiding him.
Exhausted at length, and baffled in his quest, Nicholas came to a halt before Tom the Piper, and, taking up the cushion, thus preferred his complaint:--"This dance it can no further go--no further go." Whereupon the piper chanted in reply,--"I pray you, good sir, why say you so--why say you so ?" Amidst general laughter, the squire tenderly and touchingly responded--"Because Dame Tetlow will not come to--will not come to." Whereupon Tom the Piper, waxing furious, blew a shrill whistle, accompanied by an encouraging rattle of the tambarine, and enforcing the mandate by two or three energetic stamps on the floor, delivered himself in this fashion:--"She _must_ come to, and she SHALL come to.

And she must come, whether she will or no." Upon this two of the prettiest female morris-dancers, taking each a hand of the blushing and overheated Dame Tetlow, for she had found the chase rather warm work, led her forward; while the squire advancing very gallantly placed the cushion upon the ground before her, and as she knelt down upon it, bestowed a smacking kiss upon her lips.

This ceremony being performed amidst much tittering and flustering, accompanied by many knowing looks and some expressed wishes among the swains, who hoped that their turn might come next, Dame Tetlow arose, and the squire seizing her hand, they began to whisk round in a sort of jig, singing merrily as they danced-- "Prinkum prankum is a fine dance, And we shall go dance it once again! Once again, And we shall go dance it once again!" And they made good the words too; for on coming to a stop, Dame Tetlow snatched up the cushion, and ran in search of the squire, who retreating among the surrounding damsels, made sad havoc among them, scarcely leaving a pretty pair of lips unvisited.

Oh Nicholas! Nicholas! I am thoroughly ashamed of you, and regret becoming your historian.

You get me into an infinitude of scrapes.