such another
pair of eyes as those of his mistress, he would have acquiesced
implicitly in the lady's judgment. But while the lady and the knight
were conversing, the warder blew his bugle-horn, and presently entered
a confidential messenger from Palestine, who gave her to understand
that her lord was well; but entered into a detail of his adventures
most completely at variance with the baron's narrative, to which not
the correspondence of a single incident gave the remotest colouring of
similarity. It now became manifest that the pilgrims were not true
men; and Sir Ralph Montfaucon sate down to supper with his head full
of cogitations, which we shall leave him to chew and digest with his
pheasant and canary.

Meanwhile our three pilgrims proceeded on their way. The evening set in
black and lowering, when Robin turned aside from the main track, to seek
an asylum for the night, along a narrow way that led between rocky and
woody hills. A peasant observed the pilgrims as they entered that narrow
pass, and called after them: "Whither go you, my masters? there are
rogues in that direction."

"Can you show us a direction," said Robin, "in which there are none? If
so we will take it in preference." The peasant grinned, and walked away
whistling.

The pass widened as they advanced, and the woods grew thicker and darker
around them. Their path wound along the slope of a woody declivity,
which rose high above them in a thick rampart of foliage, and descended
almost precipitously to the bed of a small river, which they heard
dashing in its rocky channel, and saw its white foam gleaming at
intervals in the last faint glimmerings of twilight. In a short time all
was dark, and the rising voice of the wind foretold a coming storm. They
turned a point of the valley, and saw a light below them in the depth
of the hollow, shining through a cottage-casement and dancing in its
reflection on the restless stream. Robin blew his horn, which was
answered from below. The cottage door opened: a boy came forth with a
torch, ascended the steep, showed tokens of great delight at meeting
with Robin, and lighted them down a flight of steps rudely cut in the
rock, and over a series of rugged stepping-stones, that crossed
the channel of the river. They entered the cottage, which exhibited
neatness, comfort, and plenty, being amply enriched with pots, pans,
and pipkins, and adorned with flitches of bacon and sundry similar
ornaments, that gave good