Page:Wandering young gentlewoman, or, The cat-skins' garland (2).pdf/5

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5

The ball being ended, the young squire then
Said, where do you live? she answer’d again,
Sir, because you ask me, an account I will give,
At the sign of the broken skimmer I live.

Being dark then, she lost him, and homeward did hie,
And with her cat-skin robe was drest presently;
And into the kitchen among them she went,
But where she had been they were all innocent.

When the squire came home and found Cat-skin there
He was in amaze, and began for to swear,
For two nights at this ball has been a lady,
The sweetest of beauties that e’er I did see.

She was the best dancer in all the whole place.
And very much like our Cat-skins in the face;
Had she not been drest to that comely degree,
I’d sworn it had been Cat-skins bodily.

Next day to this ball he did go once more,
Then she ask’d his mother to go as before;
And having a bason of water in hand,
She threw it at Cat-skins, as I understand.

Shaking her wet ears, out of doors she did run,
And dressing herself, when this thing she had done,
To see this ball acted, she then went her ways,
To see her fine dancing all gave her the praise.

And having concluded, this young squire he
Said, from whence come you? pray, lady tell me,
Her answer was, sir, you soon shall know the same,
From the sign of the bason and water I came.

Then homeward she hurry’d as fast as might be,
This young squire he then was resolved to see
Whereto she belong’d: and following Cat skin,
Into an old house he saw her creep in.