"I have, of my own, ten silver pennies," said the knight. "Here they are, and I wish they were a hundred times as many." He handed Little John his pouch; and the big fellow soon had knowledge of its contents.
It was as the knight said, no more nor less.
Robin filled his guest a b.u.mper of wine, and made a sign for Little John to hand back the pouch.
"Pledge me, Sir Knight," cried the merry outlaw, "and pledge me heartily, for these be sorry times. I see that your armor is bent and that your clothes are worn. Tell me now, were you a yeoman and made a knight by force? Or have you been bad steward to yourself and wasted your property in lawsuits and the like? Be not bashful with me, we shall not betray your secrets."
"I am a Norman knight in my own right; and I have always lived a sober and quiet life," the sorrowful knight replied. "My father, and his father, and his father"s father were all knights of the King; but, as is often the case, friend Robin, rich men sometimes find their riches fly away from them. Until within this last year I have contrived by dint of care and labor, to live on the few hundreds of rent and the like which fall to me year by year; but now I have only these ten pennies of silver and my wife and children three."
Robin asked how his moneys had gone from him.
"I lost them through misfortune and naught else," the knight declared, sighing. "I have a son--a good youth--who, when he was but twenty years of age, could play prettily in jousts and tournaments and other knightly games. He had the ill luck to push his sports too far; and did kill a knight of Lancashire in a battle _a outrance_. To save my boy I had to sell my lands and mortgage my estates; and this not being enough, in the end I have had to borrow money from my lord of Hereford."
"A most worthy Bishop," said Robin, ironically; "I know him well."
"He seemeth to be a hard man in law," said the knight; "and since I cannot pay him the four hundred pieces he has promised to foreclose his mortgage on our home."
"Have you not any friends who would become a surety for you, Sir Knight?" queried Robin, thoughtfully.
"None. My friends have fallen away from me in mine adversity as leaves from an autumn tree."
"Fill your goblet again, Sir Knight," Robin commanded; and he turned to whisper a word in Marian"s ear. She nodded, and beckoned Little John and Much the Miller to her side.
"Here is health and prosperity to you, gallant Robin," the knight said, tilting his goblet, "and my best thanks for your cheer. Would that I might make better recompense."
The two outlaws, with Mistress Marian, had now consulted the others, and all seemed to be agreed. Warrenton, as treasurer to the band, was sent into one of the inner caves, and presently returned, bearing a bag of gold. He counted it out before the knight; and there were four times one hundred golden pieces.
"Take this loan from us, Sir Knight, and pay your debt to the Bishop,"
Robin told him. "Nay, no thanks; you are but exchanging creditors.
Mayhap we shall not be so hard on you as was the Christian Bishop; yet again, we may be harder. Who can say, where human nature is concerned?"
Much now appeared, dragging a bale of cloth. "The knight should have a suit worthy of his rank, master, do you not think?"
"Measure him twenty ells of it," Robin ordered.
"Give him your Arab horse also," whispered Marian; "it is a gift which will come back to you fourfold, for this is a worthy man. My father doth know him well."
So the horse was given also, and Robin bade Arthur-a-Bland ride as esquire to the knight; to be good use and to fulfil his first duty as one of the band.
The knight was sorrowful no longer. He could scarcely voice his thanks to them; and was nigh overcome when time for his departure came round on the following morning.
"G.o.d save you, comrades," said he, with deep feeling in his tones, "and give me a grateful heart."
"We shall wait for you twelve months from to-day, here in this place,"
said Robin, smiling cheerfully. "And then you will repay us for the loan of the gold."
"I shall return it to you within a year," replied the knight, firmly.
"So sure as I am Sir Richard of the Lee, the money shall be returned, with interest beside. Look for me in the early days of March, friends, for then I expect to have good news of my son."
"Then, or later, Sir Knight, as you will," said Robin.
CHAPTER XXVI
The Sheriff having failed to ensnare Robin Hood, and Master Simeon having done so little better, it became clear that a more wise person than either must attempt the business. The demoiselle Marie had recovered from her fit of anger, and announced her intention of showing them both how such an affair should be approached. To this end she employed herself in archery and won some accomplishment in the sport; then she caused Master Fitzwalter"s house to be searched thoroughly and any writings of his to be brought to her.
Mistress Monceux engaged her fingers next in a pretty schooling, teaching them to hold a pen as awkwardly as might Master Fitzwalter himself. So she produced at last a writing purporting to come from him to Maid Marian, his daughter. She wrote it simply and in few words:--
"This to my dear child Marian, from her affectionate father, Henry Fitzwalter, now in the Court of St. James, in London town. I send you all greetings, and am well both in mind and spirit. I pray G.o.d that He has kept you as jealously in my long absence from home.
This is to tell you, dear heart, that, after all, I shall return to Nottingham, mayhap very soon, and that you are to provide accordingly. I have had tidings of you given to me by my lord Bishop of Hereford, and now send you this by the hand of his man, who returns to Nottingham on other business of my lord"s. I pray you to remain closely in Nottingham during my absence.
"(Signed) FITZWALTER, Warden of the City Gates.
"The twenty-fifth day of August, 1188."
The demoiselle Marie had made several attempts before she had succeeded in producing a letter so entirely to her satisfaction; and when she had sealed the above with the Fitzwalter arms and had addressed it, she felt such a glow of pride in it that she could scarce bring herself to part with the missive.
At length she bade one of her maids fetch Master Simeon to her. When, all delighted, he stood before her, his love handed him the note.
"Take this, dear fool," said she, kindly, "and bring it to the hand of the maid Fitzwalter. She is with the outlaws in Barnesdale, hidden in one of their deeps, no doubt. I care not how you give it to her so long as you are speedy."
"I will send it by the hand of Roger, your father"s cook. He is well acquainted with their hiding-places."
"That would be to spoil my plot at its outset," Marie answered, cuttingly. "Gather your wandering wits, and bethink you of some more likely messenger. Have you not someone in this town who can be trusted?"
"I have the very man for it," suddenly cried Carfax. "There is a young knight, one who hath been exiled by the King for plotting with Prince John. He is the only son of our fiery neighbor Montfichet. He hath done secret work for the Prince, and will do it again if he believes that he hath need for it."
"You are for ever employed in doubtful business," said Marie, crossly.
"I do not like your fiddling with Prince John. You may be sure that Richard will succeed to the throne; and then we shall see where your plottings have brought you."
"Richard hath already succeeded," said Carfax, whisperingly. "I had the news but an hour since. Old Henry of Angevin is King no more--he is dead. And Richard, _Coeur de Lion_, as the commoners do call him, hath gone to Palestine, all unknowing that he is King!"
"So you think that John may seize the throne?" sneered Marie Monceux, unconvinced. "Let it be, I tell you, Simeon. In any case we must destroy these outlaws of Sherwood or they will destroy us. If they be not exterminated by the end of this year my father will cease to be Sheriff."
"May the Lord forbid!" cried Carfax, startled.
"Ay, and we shall be poor folk, Simeon, unworthy of you, no doubt. But that is not yet. Take this note, and send it how you will so long as it comes to this girl"s hands within two days."
Carfax accepted the charge; and went into the lodgings of one who had entered the town within the last few hours--none other, indeed, than Geoffrey de Montfichet, who had brought Master Simeon the startling news of the King"s sudden death.
Geoffrey perceived that he might openly show himself now if the Sheriff would but ignore the dead King"s decree of exile pa.s.sed upon him. He was sounding Carfax in the matter, and the wily go-between was temporizing in his usual way--trying to make some gain to himself out of one or the other of them.