“Shoot him through the head！” said the energetic Puritan.
“I suspect witchcraft in the beast.”
“Here be a couple of shining ones，” continued PeterPalfrey， pointing his weapon at the Lord and Lady ofthe May. “They seem to be of high station among thesemisdoers. Methinks their dignity will not be fitted withless than a double share of stripes.”
Endicott rested on his sword and closely surveyed thedress and aspect of the hapless pair. There they stood，pale， downcast and apprehensive， yet there was an airof mutual support and of pure affection seeking aid andgiving it that showed them to be man and wife with thesanction of a priest upon their love. The youth in the perilof the moment， had dropped his gilded staff and thrownhis arm about the Lady of the May， who leaned against hisbreast too lightly to burden him， but with weight enoughto express that their destinies were linked together forgood or evil. They looked first at each other and theninto the grim captain’s face. There they stood in the firsthour of wedlock， while the idle pleasures of which theircompanions were the emblems had given place to thesternest cares of life， personified by the dark Puritans. Butnever had their youthful beauty seemed so pure and highas when its glow was chastened by adversity.
“Youth，” said Endicott， “ye stand in an evil case—thouand thy maiden-wife. Make ready presently， for I amminded that ye shall both have a token to remember yourwedding-day.”
“Stern man，” cried the May-lord， “how can I move thee？
Were the means at hand， I would resist to the death； beingpowerless， I entreat. Do with me as thou wilt， but letEdith go untouched.”
“Not so，” replied the immitigable zealot. “We are notwont to show an idle courtesy to that sex which requireththe stricter discipline. What sayest thou， maid？ Shall thysilken bridegroom suffer thy share of the penalty besideshis own？”
“Be it death，” said Edith， “and lay it all on me.”
Truly， as Endicott had said， the poor lovers stood in awoeful case. Their foes were triumphant， their friendscaptive and abased， their home desolate， the benightedwilderness around them， and a rigorous destiny in theshape of the Puritan leader their only guide. Yet thedeepening twilight could not altogether conceal that theiron man was softened. He smiled at the fair spectacle ofearly love； he almost sighed for the inevitable blight ofearly hopes.
“The troubles of life have come hastily on this youngcouple，” observed Endicott. “We will see how theycomport themselves under their present trials ere weburden them with greater. If among the spoil there beany garments of a more decent fashion， let them be putupon this May-lord and his Lady instead of their glisteningvanities. Look to it， some of you.”
“And shall not the youth’s hair be cut？” asked PeterPalfrey， looking with abhorrence at the lovelock and longglossy curls of the young man.
“Crop it forthwith， and that in the true pumpkin-shellfashion，” answered the captain. “Then bring them alongwith us， but more gently than their fellows. There bequalities in the youth which may make him valiant to fightand sober to toil and pious to pray， and in the maiden thatmay fit her to become a mother in our Israel， bringingup babes in better nurture than her own hath been. Northink ye， young ones， that they are the happiest， even inour lifetime of a moment， who misspend it in dancinground a Maypole.”
And Endicott， the severest Puritan of all who laid therock-foundation of New England， lifted the wreath ofroses from the ruin of the Maypole and threw it withhis own gauntleted hand over the heads of the Lord andLady of the May. It was a deed of prophecy. As the moralgloom of the world overpowers all systematic gayety，even so was their home of wild mirth made desolate amidthe sad forest. They returned to it no more. But as theirflowery garland was wreathed of the brightest roses thathad grown there， so in the tie that united them wereintertwined all the purest and best of their early joys. Theywent heavenward supporting each other along the difficultpath which it was their lot to tread， and never wasted oneregretful thought on the vanities of Merry Mount.