So he chose each girl a blade, and she counted her fate on it, with Martin to prompt her. And Jessica got the Chimney-sweep, and vowed she saw Orion's belt round the sun, and Jennifer got the Lamplighter and looked sorrowful, for she too wished to see stars in the morning; but Martin consoled her by saying that she would make the dark to shine, and set whispering lights in the fog, when men had none other to see by. And Joyce got the Muffin-man, and Martin told her that wherever she went men, women, and children would run to their snowy doorsteps, for she would be as welcome as swallows in spring. And Jane got the Bell-Ringer, and Martin said an angel must have blessed her birth, since she was to live and die with the peals of heaven in her ears. And Joscelyn got the Ballad-Singer. "What about Ballad-Singers, Master Pippin?" asked Joscelyn. "Nothing at all about Ballad-Singers," said Martin. "They're a poor lot. I'm sorry for you." And Joscelyn threw her stripped blade away saying, "It's only a silly game." But little Joan got the King. And she looked at Martin, and he smiled at her, and had no need to say anything, because a king is a king. And suddenly every girl must needs grow out of sorts with her fate, and find other blades to count, until each one had achieved a king to her satisfaction. All but Joscelyn, who said she didn't care. "You are quite right," said Martin, "because none of this applies to any of you. These are town-fortunes, and you are country-maids." And he plucked a new blade, reciting, Mower, Reaper, Poacher, Keeper, Cowman, Thatcher, Plowman, Herd." "How dull!" said Jessica. "These are men for every day." "So is a husband," said Martin. "And to your town-girls, who no longer see romance in a Chimneysweep, your Poacher's a Pirate and your Shepherd a Poet. Could you not find it in your heart, Mistress Jessica, to put up with a Thatcher?" "That's enough of husbands," said Jessica. "Then what of houses?" said Martin. "Where shall we live when we're wed?-- 'Under a thatch, In a ship's hatch, An inn, a castle, A brown paper parcel'-- "Stuff and nonsense!" said Joscelyn. "For the sake of the rime," begged Martin. But the girls were not interested in houses. Yet the rest of the morning they went searching the orchard for the grass of fortune, and not telling. But once Martin, coming behind Jessica, distinctly heard her murmur "Thatcher!" and smile. And at another time he saw Joyce deliberately count her blade before beginning, and nip off a floret, and then begin; and the end was "Plowman." And presently little Joan came and knelt beside him where he sat counting on his own behalf, and said timidly, "Martin." "Yes, dear?" said Martin absentmindedly. "Oh. Martin, is it very wicked to poach?" "The best men all do it," said Martin. "Oh. Please, what are you counting?" "You swear you won't tell?" said Martin, with a side-glance at her.