‘Dearesste Anna,—As thou haste alwaye founde mee toe my worde moste treue, so thou shalt see I have stryctlye kept mye promyse. I praye you perfume thys mye poore Locke withe thye balmye eyess, fore thenne, indeede, shalle Kynges themmeselves love and paye homage toe itte. I doe assure thee no rude hand hath knottedde itte, thye Willys alone hath done the worke. Adewe sweete love. ‘Thyne everre, ‘Wm. Shakespeare.’ ‘Most tender, true, and precious!’ exclaimed the antiquary, ecstatically; ‘and now the verses?’ ‘There are but two, sir,’ said the young man, apologetically:— ‘“Is therre in heavenne aught more rare Thane thou sweete nymphe of Avon fayre, Is therre onne earthe a manne more treue Thanne Willy Shakespeare is toe you?”’ William Henry read very well, and with much pathos, and into the last line he put especial tenderness which did not need the covert glance he shot at her to bring the colour into Margaret’s cheek. ‘“Though deathe with neverre faylinge blowe, Doth manne and babe alyke bringe lowe; Yet doth he take naught butte hys due And strikes not Willy’s heart still treue.”’ ‘What simplicity, what fidelity!’ murmured the antiquary; ‘a flawless gem indeed! Whence did you unearth it?’ ‘I found it where I found the other deed, sir, amongst my patron’s documents; I took it, of course, to him at once. He was greatly surprised and interested, and fully conscious of the value of the godsend; yet he never showed the least sign of regret at the gift he made me, of what he was pleased to call the jetsam and flotsam from his collection. ‘“If I were a younger man,” he said, “I think I should have grudged you that lock of hair. It is just the sort of present a young fellow should give to the girl he has a respect for. A thing that costs nothing, yet is exceedingly precious, and which speaks of love and fidelity. It is too good for any antiquary.”’ ‘Your patron is mad, my lad,’ said Mr. Erin, in a tone of cheerful conviction; ‘he _must_ be mad to talk like that; and, indeed, he would never give away these things at all if he were in his sober senses. The idea of bestowing such an inestimable relic upon a girl! Why, it should rather be preserved in some museum in the custody of trustees, to the delight of the whole nation for ever.’ ‘Nevertheless, sir, such was my patron’s injunction. He asked of me if I knew any pure and comely maiden, well brought up, and who would understand the value of such a thing. I had therefore, of course, no choice but to mention Margaret; whereupon he said that the lock of hair was to be hers.’ ‘I’ll keep it for you, Maggie, in my iron press,’ said Mr. Erin considerately. ‘You shall look at it—in my presence—as often as you like; and then we shall both know that it is safe and sound. As for the letter and verses, Samuel, it will be better to put them for the present, perhaps, in the same repository.’