Page:Cup of Gold-1929.djvu/101

be happening to a poor sailor. No; for sailors there be pretty hags with sharp, hard eyes to say, Come! money first, sweetheart mine.’ ”

But now Paulette had found the way to make Henry marry her. She would contrive to get drunkenness on him, would trap him with wine, and there would be a priest nearby to come at her hushed call. Oh, surely, stranger things had been!

She laid her snare for him on his first night back from sea———a large stone flagon filled with Peruvian wine, and a priest, bribed with a stolen coin, waiting in the shadow of a tree. Henry was very tired. He had gone out short-handed and helped to work the ship himself. The little vine-clothed hut was a pleasant, restful place to him. A full white moon cast silver splashes in the sea below and strewed the ground with scarves of purple light. Sweetly there sang a little jungle breeze among the palms:

She brought the wine and filled a cup for him.

“Do you love Paulette?”

“Ah, yes! as God sees me, I love Paulette; dear, sweet Paulette.” Another cup, and still, persistently———

“Are you so sure you love Paulette?”

“Paulette is a little star hanging to my breast by a silver chain.”

Another cup.

“Do you love none other save only your Paulette?”

“I came longingly to find Paulette: the thought of her sailed on the sea with me.” And his arms locked tightly around her little golden waist.