’Dear one, dear Anna.’ ’O my lovely boy, Life is all golden to the finger tips. What will be must be: but to-day’s a joy. Reach me that lovely branch of scarlet hips.’ He reached and gave; she put it to her lips. ’And here,’ she said, ’we come to Plaister Turns.’ And then she chose the road to Shepherd Ern’s. As the deft angler, when the fishes rise, Flicks on the broadening circle over each The delicatest touch of dropping flies, Then pulls more line and whips a longer reach, Longing to feel the rod bend, the reel screech, And the quick comrade net the monster out, So Anna played the fly over her trout. Twice she passed, thrice, she with the boy beside her, A lovely fly, hooked for a human heart, She passed his little gate, while Jimmy eyed her, Feeling her beauty tear his soul apart: Then did the great trout rise, the great pike dart, The gate went clack, a man came up the hill, The lucky strike had hooked him through the gill. Her breath comes quick, her tired beauty glows, She would not look behind, she looked ahead. It seemed to Jimmy she was like a rose, A golden white rose faintly flushed with red. Her eyes danced quicker at the approaching tread, Her finger nails dug sharp into her palm. She yearned to Jimmy’s shoulder, and kept calm. ’Evening,’ said Shepherd Ern. She turned and eyed him, Cold and surprised, but interested too, To see how much he felt the hook inside him, And how much be surmised, and Jimmy knew, And if her beauty still could make him do The love tricks he had gambolled in the past. A glow shot through her that her fish was grassed. ’Evening,’ she said. ’Good evening.’ Jimmy felt Jealous and angry at the shepherd’s tone; He longed to hit the fellow’s nose a belt, He wanted his beloved his alone. A fellow’s girl should be a fellow’s own. Ern gave the lad a glance and turned to Anna, Jim might have been in China by his manner. ’Still walking out?’ ’As you are.’ ’I’ll be bound.’ ’Can you talk gipsy yet, or plait a kipe?’ ’I’ll teach you if I can when I come round.’ ’And when will that be?’ ’When the time is ripe.’ And Jimmy longed to hit the man a swipe Under the chin to knock him out of time, But Anna stayed: she still had twigs to lime. ’Come, Anna, come, my dear,’ he muttered low. She frowned, and blinked and spoke again to Ern. ’I hear the gipsy has a row to hoe.’ ’The more you hear,’ he said, ’the less you’ll learn.’ ’We’ve just come out,’ she said, ’to take a turn; Suppose you come along: the more the merrier.’ ’All right,’ he said, ’but how about the terrier?’ He cocked an eye at Jimmy. ’Does he bite?’ Jimmy blushed scarlet. ’He’s a dear,’ said she. Ern walked a step, ’Will you be in to-night?’ She shook her head, ’I doubt if that may be. Jim, here’s a friend who wants to talk to me, So will you go and come another day?’ ’By crimes, I won’t!’ said Jimmy, ’I shall stay.’