"
Said Ralph: "Ask and fear not; for if I may trust thee I already
owe thee a reward." "My name is Michael-a-dale," said the man,
"and from Swevenham I came hither, and fain would I go thither,
and little hope I have thereof save I go privily in some such band
as thine, whereas the tyrant holdeth me on pain, as well I know,
of an evil death."
"I grant thine asking, friend," said Ralph; "and now thou wert best go
to thine house and truss what stuff thou mayst have with thee and come
back hither in the grey of the morning."
The man shook his head and said: "Nay; here must I bide night-long,
and go out of gates amongst thy men-at-arms, and clad like one
of them with iron enough about me to hide the fashion of me;
it were nowise safe for me to go back into the town; for this
tyrant wages many a spy: yea, forsooth, I fear me by certain
tokens that it is not all so certain that I have not been spied
upon already, and that it is known that I have come to thee.
And I will tell thee that by hook or by crook the King already
knoweth somewhat of thee and of the woman who is in thy company."
Ralph flushed red at that word, and felt his heart bound:
but even therewith came into them the Sage; and straightway Ralph
took him apart and told him on what errand the man was come,
and ask him if he deemed him trusty. Then the Sage went up
to Michael and looked him hard in the face awhile, and then said:
"Yea, honest he is unless the kindred of Michael of the Hatch
of Swevenham have turned thieves in the third generation.
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