Then he laid his head 'pon his right shoulder Seein death it struck him nigh; 'The holy Mother be with your soul-- I die, Mother, I die.' O the rose, the gentle rose, An the fennel that grows so green! God gi'e us grace in every place To pray for our king an' queen. Furthermore, for our enemies all Our prayers they should be strong; Amen, good Lord; your charity Is the endin' of my song! In the midst of this carol Ruby, with a light pull on Zeb's arm, brought him to a halt. "How lovely it all is, Zeb!" She looked upwards at the flying moon, then dropped her gaze over the frosty sea, and sighed gently. "Just now I feel as if I'd been tossin' out yonder through many fierce days an' nights an' were bein' taken at last to a safe haven. You'll have to make a good wife of me, Zeb. I wonder if you'll do 't." Zeb followed the direction of her eyes, and seemed to discern off Bradden Point a dot of white, as of a ship in sail. He pressed her arm to his side, but said nothing. "Clear your throats, friends," shouted his father, up the road, "an' let fly--" As I sat on a sunny bank, --A sunny bank, a sunny bank, As I sat on a sunny bank On Chris'mas day i' the mornin, I saw dree ships come sailin' by, --A-sailin' by, a-sailin' by, I saw dree ships come sailin' by On Chris'mas day i' the mornin'. Now who shud be i' these dree ships-- And to this measure Zeb and Ruby stepped home. At the cottage door Zeb thanked the singers, who went their way and flung back shouts and joyful wishes as they went. Before making all fast for the night, he stood a minute or so, listening to their voices as they died away down the road. As he barred the door, he turned and saw that Ruby had lit the lamp, and was already engaged in setting the kitchen to rights; for, of course, no such home-coming had been dreamt of in the morning, and all was in disorder. He stood and watched her for a while, then turned to the window. After a minute or two, finding that he did not speak, she too came to the window. He bent and kissed her. For he had seen, on the patch of sea beyond the haven, a white frigate steal up Channel like a ghost. She had passed out of his sight by this time, but he was still thinking of one man that she bore. THE HAUNTED DRAGOON.