Lancaster to spur them on. Hear my plain thoughts: You, that are

a clerk, and Sir Daniel, that sails on any wind, ye have taken many

men's goods, and beaten and hanged not a few. Y' are called to

count for this; in the end, I wot not how, ye have ever the

uppermost at law, and ye think all patched. But give me leave, Sir

Oliver: the man that ye have dispossessed and beaten is but the

angrier, and some day, when the black devil is by, he will up with

his bow and clout me a yard of arrow through your inwards."

"Nay, Bennet, y' are in the wrong. Bennet, ye should be glad to be

corrected," said Sir Oliver. "Y' are a prater, Bennet, a talker, a

babbler; your mouth is wider than your two ears. Mend it, Bennet,

mend it."

"Nay, I say no more. Have it as ye list," said the retainer.

The priest now rose from the stool, and from the writing-case that

hung about his neck took forth wax and a taper, and a flint and

steel. With these he sealed up the chest and the cupboard with Sir

Daniel's arms, Hatch looking on disconsolate; and then the whole

party proceeded, somewhat timorously, to sally from the house and

get to horse.

"'Tis time we were on the road, Sir Oliver," said Hatch, as he held

the priest's stirrup while he mounted.

"Ay; but, Bennet, things are changed," returned the parson. "There

is now no Appleyard--rest his soul!--to keep the garrison. I shall

keep you, Bennet. I must have a good man to rest me on in this day

of black arrows. 'The arrow that flieth by day,' saith the

evangel; I have no mind of the context; nay, I am a sluggard

<<BackPagesTo menuNext>>