nt rode on, Sir Richard called to his
man, saying, "I must by all means be in York to-morrow, to pay the
abbot of St. Mary's four hundred pounds; if I fail of my day I shall
lose my land and lordship for ever"; and Little John answered: "Fear
not, master; we will surely be there in time enough." Then they rode
on, and reached York early on the last day of the appointed time.

The Abbot and Prior of St. Mary's

In the meantime the abbot of St. Mary's was counting that Sir
Richard's lands were safely his; he had no pity for the poor unlucky
knight, but rather exulted in the legal cruelty which he could
inflict. Very joyfully he called aloud, early that morn: "A
twelvemonth ago to-day we lent four hundred pounds to a needy knight,
Sir Richard of the Lea, and unless he comes by noon to-day to repay
the money he will lose all his land and be disinherited, and our abbey
will be the richer by a fat estate, worth four hundred pounds a year.
Our Lady grant that he keep not his day." "Shame on you!" cried the
prior. "This poor knight may be ill, or beyond the sea; he may be in
hunger and cold as well as poverty, and it will be a foul wrong if you
declare his land forfeit."

"This is the set day," replied the abbot, "and he is not here." "You
dare not escheat his estates yet," replied the prior stubbornly. "It
is too early in the day; until noon the lands are still Sir Richard's,
and no man shall take them ere the clock strikes. Shame on your
conscience and your greed, to do a good knight such foul wrong! I
would willingly pay a hundred pounds myself to prevent it."

"Beshrew your meddlesome temper!" cried the abbot. "You are always
crossing me! But I have with me the Lord Chief Justice, and he will
declare my legal right." Just at that moment the high cellarer of the
abbey entered to congratulate the abbot on Sir Richard's absence. "He
is dead or ill, and we shall have the spending of four hundred pounds
a year," quoth he.

Sir Richard Returns

On his arrival Sir Richard had quietly gone round to his old tenants
in York, and had a goodly company of them ready to ride with him, but
he was minded to test the charity and true religion of the abbot, and
bade his followers assume pilgrims' robes. Thus attired, the company
rode to the abbey gate, where the porter recognised Sir Richard, and
the news of his coming, carried to the abbot and justice, caused them
great grief; but the prior rejoiced, hoping that a cruel injustice