Now after a time the coachman, a spruce middle-aged man, who had long wanted to marry the clever, pretty laundry-maid, going to the pump to get water for his horses overheard her giving orders to the three feathers, and peeping through the keyhole as the butler had done, saw her sitting at her ease in a chair while the clothes, all washed and ironed and mangled, came flying to the table.

So, just as the butler had done, he went to the girl and said, “I have you now, my pretty.  Don’t dare to turn up your nose at me, for if you do I’ll tell mistress you are a witch.”

Then the girl said quite calmly, “I look on none who has no money.”

“If that is all,” replied the coachman, “I have forty pounds laid by with master.  That I’ll bring and ask for payment to-morrow night.”

So when the night came the girl held out her apron for the money, and as she was going up the stairs she stopped suddenly and said, “Goody me!  I’ve left my clothes on the line.  Stop a bit till I fetch them in.”

Now the coachman was really a very polite fellow, so he said at once: 

“Let me go.  It is a cold, windy night and you’ll be catching your death.”

So off he went, and the girl out with her feathers and said: 

“By virtue of the three feathers from over my true love’s heart may the clothes slash and blow about till dawn, and may Mr. Coachman not be able to gather them up or take his hand from the job.”

And when she had said this she went quietly to bed, for she knew what would happen.  And sure enough it did.  Never was such a night as Mr. Coachman spent with the wet clothes flittering and fluttering about his ears, and the sheets wrapping him into a bundle, and tripping him up, while the towels slashed at his legs.  But though he smarted all over he had to go on till dawn came, and then a very weary, woebegone coachman couldn’t even creep away to his bed, for he had to feed and water his horses!  And he, also, kept his own counsel for fear of the laugh going against him; so the clever laundry-maid put the forty pounds with the seventy in her box, and went on with her work gaily.  But after a time the footman, who was quite an honest lad and truly in love, going by the laundry peeped through the keyhole to get a glimpse of his dearest dear, and what should he see but her sitting at her ease in a chair, and the clothes coming all ready folded and ironed on to the table.

Now when he saw this he was greatly troubled.  So he went to his master and drew out all his savings; and then he went to the girl and told her that he would have to tell the mistress what he had seen, unless she consented to marry him.

“You see,” he said, “I have been with master this while back, and have saved up this bit, and you have been here this long while back and must have saved as well.  So let us put the two together and make a home, or else stay on at service as pleases you.”