Then Robin brought forward
Sir Richard of the Lea. "My Lord Bishop," said he, "here is another
guest that we have with us this day. I wish that thou mightest know him
better, for I and all my men will strive to honor you both at this
merrymaking."
"Sir Richard," said the Bishop in a reproachful tone, "methinks thou and
I are companions and fellow sufferers in this den of--" He was about to
say "thieves," but he stopped suddenly and looked askance at Robin Hood.
"Speak out, Bishop," quoth Robin, laughing. "We of Sherwood check not
an easy flow of words. 'Den of thieves' thou west about to say."
Quoth the Bishop, "Mayhap that was what I meant to say, Sir Richard; but
this I will say, that I saw thee just now laugh at the scurrilous jests
of these fellows. It would have been more becoming of thee, methinks,
to have checked them with frowns instead of spurring them on by
laughter."
"I meant no harm to thee," said Sir Richard, "but a merry jest is a
merry jest, and I may truly say I would have laughed at it had it been
against mine own self."
But now Robin Hood called upon certain ones of his band who spread soft
moss upon the ground and laid deerskins thereon.
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