THIRD MASKER
Or shall I say that I Was out in Palestine?
[_They pa.s.s. Enter little ARTHUR PLANTAGENET. He comes up to ROBIN HOOD._]
ARTHUR
Are you not Robin Hood?
ROBIN
Hush, Arthur. Don"t you see I wear a mask Like all the rest to-night?
ARTHUR
Why do they wear Masks?
ROBIN
They must always wear some sort of mask At court. Sometimes they wear them all their lives.
ARTHUR
You are jesting, Robin. Now I wanted you To tell me tales of Sherwood. Tell me how You saved Will Scarlet.
ROBIN
Why, I"ve told you that A score of times.
ARTHUR
I know, I want to hear it Again. Well, tell me of that afternoon When Lion-Heart came home from the Crusade.
I have often thought of that. It must have been Splendid! You weren"t expecting it at all?
ROBIN
No, not at all; but, Arthur, tell me first Have you seen Lady Marian?
ARTHUR
Yes, I saw her Treading a measure with my Uncle John!
ROBIN
Stand where you are and watch; and, if you see her, Beckon her. Then I"ll tell you how the King Came home from the Crusade.
ARTHUR
First, let me tell you Just how I think it was. It must have been Like a great picture. All your outlaws there Sitting around your throne of turf, and you Judging the rich and poor. That"s how it was Last night, I dreamed of it; and you were taking The baron"s gold and giving it to the halt And blind; and then there was a great big light Between the trees, as if a star had come Down to the earth and caught among the boughs, With beams like big soft swords amongst the ferns And leaves, and through the light a mighty steed Stepped, and the King came home from the Crusade.
Was it like that? Was there a shining light?
ROBIN
I think there must have been, a blinding light,
ARTHUR
Filling an arch of leaves?
ROBIN
Yes!
ARTHUR
That was it!
That"s how the King came home from the Crusade.
ROBIN
But there--you"ve told the story!
ARTHUR
Ah, not all!
ROBIN
No, not quite all. What"s that?
[_The music suddenly stops. The maskers crowd together whispering excitedly._]
ARTHUR
Why have they stopped The music? Ah, there"s Hubert. Shall I ask him?
ROBIN
Yes, quickly, and come back!
[_ARTHUR runs up to a masker. Several go by hurriedly._]
FIRST MASKER
The King is dead!
SECOND MASKER
Where did it happen? France?