So Robin stood in the middle of the road, waiting while
the other walked slowly forward, smelling his rose, and looking this way
and that, and everywhere except at Robin.
"Hold!" cried Robin, when at last the other had come close to him.
"Hold! Stand where thou art!"
"Wherefore should I hold, good fellow?" said the stranger in soft and
gentle voice. "And wherefore should I stand where I am? Ne'ertheless,
as thou dost desire that I should stay, I will abide for a short time,
that I may hear what thou mayst have to say to me."
"Then," quoth Robin, "as thou dost so fairly do as I tell thee, and dost
give me such soft speech, I will also treat thee with all due courtesy.
I would have thee know, fair friend, that I am, as it were, a votary at
the shrine of Saint Wilfred who, thou mayst know, took, willy-nilly, all
their gold from the heathen, and melted it up into candlesticks.
Wherefore, upon such as come hereabouts, I levy a certain toll, which I
use for a better purpose, I hope, than to make candlesticks withal.
Therefore, sweet chuck, I would have thee deliver to me thy purse, that
I may look into it, and judge, to the best of my poor powers, whether
thou hast more wealth about thee than our law allows.
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