Page 226 - the-merry-adventures-of-robin-hood

‘He is at meat, good knight, and he looketh for thy com-
ing,’ quoth the porter, ‘for, if I mistake not, thou art Sir
Richard of the Lea.’
‘I am Sir Richard of the Lea; then I will go seek him forth-
with,’ said the Knight.
‘But shall I not send thy horse to stable?’ said the porter.
‘By Our Lady, it is the noblest nag, and the best harnessed,
that e’er I saw in all my life before.’ And he stroked the
horse’s flank with his palm.
‘Nay,’ quoth Sir Richard, ‘the stables of this place are
not for me, so make way, I prythee.’ So saying, he pushed
forward, and, the gates being opened, he entered the stony
courtyard of the Priory, his men behind him. In they came
with rattle of steel and clashing of swords, and ring of horses’
feet on cobblestones, whereat a flock of pigeons that strut-
ted in the sun flew with flapping wings to the high eaves of
the round towers.
While the Knight was riding along the causeway to Em-
met, a merry feast was toward in the refectory there. The
afternoon sun streamed in through the great arched win-
dows and lay in broad squares of light upon the stone floor
and across the board covered with a snowy linen cloth,
whereon was spread a princely feast. At the head of the ta-
ble sat Prior Vincent of Emmet all clad in soft robes of fine
cloth and silk; on his head was a black velvet cap picked out
with gold, and around his neck hung a heavy chain of gold,
with a great locket pendant therefrom. Beside him, on the
arm of his great chair, roosted his favorite falcon, for the
Prior was fond of the gentle craft of hawking. On his right