Aylward, with a fishing lass on either arm, was vowing constancy alternately to her on the right and her on the left, while big John towered in the rear with a little chubby maiden enthroned upon his great shoulder, her soft white arm curled round his shining headpiece.

So the throng moved on, until at the very gate it was brought to a stand by a wondrously fat man, who came darting forth from the town with rage in every feature of his rubicund face.
"How now, Sir Mayor ?" he roared, in a voice like a bull.

"How now, Sir Mayor?
How of the clams and the scallops ?" "By Our Lady! my sweet Sir Oliver," cried the mayor.

"I have had so much to think of, with these wicked villains so close upon us, that it had quite gone out of my head." "Words, words!" shouted the other furiously.

"Am I to be put off with words?
I say to you again, how of the clams and scallops ?" "My fair sir, you flatter me," cried the mayor.