for a holy man. I do wonder whether his patron, who, methinks, was Saint Thomas, was given to wearing golden chains about his neck, silk clothing upon his body, and pointed shoes upon his feet; the money for all of which, God wot, hath been wrung from the sweat of poor tenants. Bishop, Bishop, thy pride may have a fall ere thou wottest of it.”

So the holy men came to the church; the Bishop and the Prior jesting and laughing between themselves about certain fair dames, their words more befitting the lips of laymen, methinks, than holy clerks. Then they dismounted, and the Bishop, looking around, presently caught sight of Robin standing in the doorway. “Hilloa, good fellow,” quoth he, in a jovial voice, “who art thou that struttest in such gay feathers?”

The Bishop of Hereford speaketh to Robin Hood.

“A harper am I from the North country,” quoth Robin; “and I can touch the strings, I wot, as never another man in all merry England can do. Truly, good Lord Bishop, many a knight and burgher, clerk and layman, have danced to my music, willy nilly, and most times greatly against their will; such is the magic of my harping. Now this day, my Lord Bishop, if I may play at this wedding, I do promise that I will cause the fair bride to love the man she marries with a love that shall last as long as that twain shall live together.”

“Ha! is it so?” cried the Bishop. “Meanest thou this is sooth?” and he looked keenly at Robin, who gazed boldly back again into his eyes. “Now, if thou wilt cause this maiden (who hath verily bewitched my poor cousin Stephen) thus to love the man she is to marry, as thou sayst thou canst, I will give thee whatsoever thou wilt ask me in due measure. Let me have a taste of thy skill, fellow.”

“Nay,” quoth Robin, “my music cometh not without I choose, even at a lord bishop’s bidding. In sooth I will not play until the bride and bridegroom come.”

Robin will not play for the Bishop.

“Now, thou art a saucy varlet to speak so to my crest,” quoth the Bishop, frowning on Robin. “Yet, I must needs bear with thee. Look, Prior, hither cometh our cousin, Sir Stephen, and his lady-love.”

And now, around the bend of the high-road, 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.

Sir Stephen and fair Ellen and her father come to the church.

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. Now, however, she was all pale and drooping, like a fair white lily snapped at the stem; and so, with bent head and sorrowful look, she went within the church, Sir Stephen leading her by the hand.

“Why dost thou not play, fellow?” quoth the Bishop, looking sternly at Robin.

“Marry,” said Robin, calmly, “I will play in greater wise than your lordship thinks; but not till the right time hath come.”

Said the Bishop to himself, while he looked grimly at Robin, “When this wedding is gone by I will have this fellow well whipped for his saucy tongue and bold speech.”

And now fair Ellen and Sir Stephen stood before the altar, and the Bishop himself came in his robes and opened his book, whereat fair Ellen looked up and about her in bitter despair, like the fawn that finds the hounds on her haunch. Then, in all his fluttering tags and ribbons of red and yellow, Robin Hood