Page 231 - the-merry-adventures-of-robin-hood

and never offer him meat or drink?’
Then quoth the man of law in a trembling voice, ‘This is
surely an ill way to talk of matters appertaining to business;
let us be mild in speech. What wilt thou pay this knight, Sir
Prior, to give thee release of his land?’
‘I would have given him two hundred pounds,’ quoth the
Prior, ‘but since he hath spoken so vilely to my teeth, not
one groat over one hundred pounds will he get.’
‘Hadst thou offered me a thousand pounds, false prior,’
said the Knight, ‘thou wouldst not have got an inch of my
land.’ Then turning to where his men-at-arms stood near
the door, he called, ‘Come hither,’ and beckoned with his
finger; whereupon the tallest of them all came forward and
handed him a long leathern bag. Sir Richard took the bag
and shot from it upon the table a glittering stream of gold-
en money. ‘Bear in mind, Sir Prior,’ said he, ‘that thou hast
promised me quittance for three hundred pounds. Not one
farthing above that shalt thou get.’ So saying, he counted
out three hundred pounds and pushed it toward the Prior.
But now the Prior’s hands dropped at his sides and the
Prior’s head hung upon his shoulder, for not only had he
lost all hopes of the land, but he had forgiven the Knight
one hundred pounds of his debt and had needlessly paid the
man of law fourscore angels. To him he turned, and quoth
he, ‘Give me back my money that thou hast.’
‘Nay,’ cried the other shrilly, ‘it is but my fee that thou
didst pay me, and thou gettest it not back again.’ And he
hugged his gown about him.
‘Now, Sir Prior,’ quoth Sir Richard, ‘I have held my day

0 The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood