Page 162 - the-merry-adventures-of-robin-hood

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 wed-
ded 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 fa-
vor 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 mar-
ried. Nought is to be gained there, coz.’
‘Yea,’ quoth Will Scarlet, laughing again, ‘but this Foun-
tain Abbey is not so far away as the one of which thou
speakest, uncle. The Fountain Abbey of which I speak is

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