the merry adventures of robin hood-第29章

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r　half　of　which　mine　own　dear　love　doth　carry　in　her　bosom；　hung　about　her　neck　by　a　strand　of　silken　thread。〃

At　this　speech　a　great　shout　of　laughter　went　up　from　those　around；　whereat　the　poor　boy　looked　as　he　would　die　of　shame；　but　Robin　Hood　turned　sharply　to　Will　Stutely。　　〃Why；　how　now；〃　quoth　he；　〃is　this　the　guest　that　thou　hast　brought　us　to　fill　our　purse？　Methinks　thou　hast　brought　but　a　lean　cock　to　the　market。〃

〃Nay；　good　master；〃　answered　Will　Stutely；　grinning；　〃he　is　no　guest　of　mine；　it　was　Will　Scarlet　that　brought　him　thither。〃

Then　up　spoke　Will　Scarlet；　and　told　how　they　had　found　the　lad　in　sorrow；　and　how　he　had　brought　him　to　Robin；　thinking　that　he　might　perchance　aid　him　in　his　trouble。　Then　Robin　Hood　turned　to　the　youth；　and；　placing　his　hand　upon　the　other's　shoulder；　held　him　off　at　arm's　length；　scanning　his　face　closely。

〃A　young　face；〃　quoth　he　in　a　low　voice；　half　to　himself；　〃a　kind　face；　a　good　face。　　'Tis　like　a　maiden's　for　purity；　and；　withal；　the　fairest　that　e'er　mine　eyes　did　see；　but；　if　I　may　judge　fairly　by　thy　looks；　grief　cometh　to　young　as　well　as　to　old。〃　　At　these　words；　spoken　so　kindly；　the　poor　lad's　eyes　brimmed　up　with　tears。　　〃Nay；　nay；〃　said　Robin　hastily；　〃cheer　up；　lad；　I　warrant　thy　case　is　not　so　bad　that　it　cannot　be　mended。　What　may　be　thy　name？〃

〃Allen　a　Dale　is　my　name；　good　master。〃

〃Allen　a　Dale；〃　repeated　Robin；　musing。　　〃Allen　a　Dale。　　It　doth　seem　to　me　that　the　name　is　not　altogether　strange　to　mine　ears。　Yea；　surely　thou　art　the　minstrel　of　whom　we　have　been　hearing　lately；　whose　voice　so　charmeth　all　men。　　Dost　thou　not　come　from　the　Dale　of　Rotherstream；　over　beyond　Stavely？〃

〃Yea；　truly；〃　answered　Allan；　〃I　do　come　thence。〃

〃How　old　art　thou；　Allan？〃　said　Robin。

〃I　am　but　twenty　years　of　age。〃

〃Methinks　thou　art　overyoung　to　be　perplexed　with　trouble；〃　quoth　Robin　kindly；　then；　turning　to　the　others；　he　cried；　〃Come；　lads；　busk　ye　and　get　our　feast　ready；　only　thou；　Will　Scarlet；　and　thou；　Little　John；　stay　here　with　me。〃

Then；　when　the　others　had　gone；　each　man　about　his　business；　Robin　turned　once　more　to　the　youth。　　〃Now；　lad；〃　said　he；　〃tell　us　thy　troubles；　and　speak　freely。　　A　flow　of　words　doth　ever　ease　the　heart　of　sorrows；　it　is　like　opening　the　waste　weir　when　the　mill　dam　is　overfull。　Come；　sit　thou　here　beside　me；　and　speak　at　thine　ease。〃

Then　straightway　the　youth　told　the　three　yeomen　all　that　was　in　his　heart；　at　first　in　broken　words　and　phrases；　then　freely　and　with　greater　ease　when　he　saw　that　all　listened　closely　to　what　he　said。　So　he　told　them　how　he　had　come　from　York　to　the　sweet　vale　of　Rother；　traveling　the　country　through　as　a　minstrel；　stopping　now　at　castle；　now　at　hall；　and　now　at　farmhouse；　how　he　had　spent　one　sweet　evening　in　a　certain　broad；　low　farmhouse；　where　he　sang　before　a　stout　franklin　and　a　maiden　as　pure　and　lovely　as　the　first　snowdrop　of　spring；　how　he　had　played　and　sung　to　her；　and　how　sweet　Ellen　o'　the　Dale　had　listened　to　him　and　had　loved　him。　　Then；　in　a　low；　sweet　voice；　scarcely　louder　than　a　whisper；　he　told　how　he　had　watched　for　her　and　met　her　now　and　then　when　she　went　abroad；　but　was　all　too　afraid　in　her　sweet　presence　to　speak　to　her；　until　at　last；　beside　the　banks　of　Rother；　he　had　spoken　of　his　love；　and　she　had　whispered　that　which　had　made　his　heartstrings　quiver　for　joy。　Then　they　broke　a　sixpence　between　them；　and　vowed　to　be　true　to　one　another　forever。

Next　he　told　how　her　father　had　discovered　what　was　a…doing；　and　had　taken　her　away　from　him　so　that　he　never　saw　her　again；　and　his　heart　was　sometimes　like　to　break；　how　this　morn；　only　one　short　month　and　a　half　from　the　time　that　he　had　seen　her　last；　he　had　heard　and　knew　it　to　be　so；　that　she　was　to　marry　old　Sir　Stephen　of　Trent；　two　days　hence；　for　Ellen's　father　thought　it　would　be　a　grand　thing　to　have　his　daughter　marry　so　high；　albeit　she　wished　it　not；　nor　was　it　wonder　that　a　knight　should　wish　to　marry　his　own　sweet　love；　who　was　the　most　beautiful　maiden　in　all　the　world。

To　all　this　the　yeomen　listened　in　silence；　the　clatter　of　many　voices；　jesting　and　laughing；　sounding　around　them；　and　the　red　light　of　the　fire　shining　on　their　faces　and　in　their　eyes。　So　simple　were　the　poor　boy's　words；　and　so　deep　his　sorrow；　that　even　Little　John　felt　a　certain　knotty　lump　rise　in　his　throat。

〃I　wonder　not；〃　said　Robin；　after　a　moment's　silence；　〃that　thy　true　love　loved　thee；　for　thou　hast　surely　a　silver　cross　beneath　thy　tongue；　even　like　good　Saint　Francis；　that　could　charm　the　birds　of　the　air　by　his　speech。〃

〃By　the　breath　of　my　body；〃　burst　forth　Little　John；　seeking　to　cover　his　feelings　with　angry　words；　〃I　have　a　great　part　of　a　mind　to　go　straightway　and　cudgel　the　nasty　life　out　of　the　body　of　that　same　vile　Sir　Stephen。　　Marry；　come　up；　say　Iwhat　a　plaguedoes　an　old　weazen　think　that　tender　lasses　are　to　be　bought　like　pullets　o'　a　market　day？　Out　upon　him！I　but　no　matter；　only　let　him　look　to　himself。〃

Then　up　spoke　Will　Scarlet。　　〃Methinks　it　seemeth　but　ill　done　of　the　lass　that　she　should　so　quickly　change　at　others'　bidding；　more　especially　when　it　cometh　to　the　marrying　of　a　man　as　old　as　this　same　Sir　Stephen。　　I　like　it　not　in　her；　Allan。〃

〃Nay；〃　said　Allan　hotly；　〃thou　dost　wrong　her。　　She　is　as　soft　and　gentle　as　a　stockdove。　　I　know　her　better　than　anyone　in　all　the　world。　　She　may　do　her　father's　bidding；　but　if　she　marries　Sir　Stephen；　her　heart　will　break　and　she　will　die。　My　own　sweet　dear；　I〃　He　stopped　and　shook　his　head；　for　he　could　say　nothing　further。

While　the　others　were　speaking；　Robin　Hood　had　been　sunk　in　thought。　〃Methinks　I　have　a　plan　might　fit　thy　case；　Allan；〃　said　he。　〃But　tell　me　first；　thinkest　thou；　lad；　that　thy　true　love　hath　spirit　enough　to　marry　thee　were　ye　together　in　church；　the　banns　published；　and　the　priest　found；　even　were　her　father　to　say　her　nay？〃

〃Ay；　marry　would　she；〃　cried　Allan　eagerly。

〃Then；　if　her　father　be　the　man　that　I　take　him　to　be；　I　will　undertake　that　he　shall　give　you　both　his　blessing　as　wedded　man　and　wife；　in　the　place　of　old　Sir　Stephen；　and　upon　his　wedding　morn。　But　stay；　now　I　bethink　me；　there　is　one　thing　reckoned　not　upon　the　priest。　　Truly；　those　of　the　cloth　do　not　love　me　overmuch；　and　when　it　comes　to　doing　as　I　desire　in　such　a　matter；　they　are　as　like　as　not　to　prove　stiff…necked。　As　to　the　lesser　clergy；　they　fear　to　do　me　a　favor　because　of　abbot　or　bishop。

〃Nay；〃　quoth　Will　Scarlet；　laughing；　〃so　far　as　that　goeth；　I　know　of　a　certain　friar　that；　couldst　thou　but　get　on　the　soft　side　of　him；　would　do　thy　business　even　though　Pope　Joan　herself　stood　forth　to　ban　him。　He　is　known　as　the　Curtal　Friar　of　Fountain　Abbey；　and　dwelleth　in　Fountain　Dale。〃

〃But；〃　quoth　Robin；　〃Fountain　Abbey　is　a　good　hundred　miles　from　here。　An　we　would　help　this　lad；　we　have　no　time　to　go　thither　and　back　before　his　true　love　will　be　married。　　Nought　is　to　be　gained　there；　coz。〃

〃Yea；〃　quoth　Will　Scarlet；　laughing　again；　〃but　this　Fountain　Abbey　is　not　so　far　away　as　the　one　of　which　thou　speakest；　uncle。　The　Fountain　Abbey　of　which　I　speak　is　no　such　rich　and　proud　place　as　the　other；　but　a　simple　little　cell；　yet；　withal；　as　cosy　a　spot　as　ever　stout　anchorite　dwelled　within。　　I　know　the　place　well；　and　can　guide　thee　thither；　for；　though　it　is　a　goodly　distance；　yet　methinks　a　stout　pair　of　legs　could　carry　a　man　there　and　back　in　one　day。〃

〃Then　give　me　thy　hand；　Allan；〃　cried　Robin；　〃and　let　me　tell　thee；　I　swear　by　the　bright　hair　of　Saint　AElfrida　that　this　time　two　days　hence　Ellen　a　Dale　shall　be　thy　wife。　I　will　seek　this　same　Friar　of　Fountain　Abbey　tomorrow　day；　and　I　warrant　I　will　get　upon　the　soft　side　of　him；　even　if　I　have　to　drub　one　soft。〃

At　this　Will　Scarlet　laughed　again。　　〃Be　not　too　sure　of　that；　good　uncle；〃　quoth　he；　〃nevertheless；　from　what　I　know　of　him；　I　think　this　Curtal　Friar　will　gladly　join　two　such　fair　lovers；　more　especially　if　there　be　good　eating　and　drinking　afoot　thereafter。〃

But　now　one　of　the　band　came　to　say　that　the　feast　was　spread　upon　the　grass；　so；　Robin　leading　the　way；　the　others　followed　to　where　the　goodly　feast　was　spread。　　Me