Look,
Prior, hither cometh our cousin Sir Stephen, and his ladylove."
And now, around the bend of the highroad, came others, riding upon
horses. The first of all was a tall, thin man, of knightly bearing,
dressed all in black silk, with a black velvet cap upon his head, turned
up with scarlet. Robin looked, and had no doubt that this was Sir
Stephen, both because of his knightly carriage and of his gray hairs.
Beside him rode a stout Saxon franklin, Ellen's father, Edward of
Deirwold; behind those two came a litter borne by two horses, and
therein was a maiden whom Robin knew must be Ellen. Behind this litter
rode six men-at-arms, the sunlight flashing on their steel caps as they
came jingling up the dusty road.
So these also came to the church, and there Sir Stephen leaped from his
horse and, coming to the litter, handed fair Ellen out therefrom. Then
Robin Hood looked at her, and could wonder no longer how it came about
that so proud a knight as Sir Stephen of Trent wished to marry a common
franklin's daughter; nor did he wonder that no ado was made about the
matter, for she was the fairest maiden that ever he had beheld.
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