ys.
Mayhap thou hast no love for the sea?"

"'Tis the sea that hath no love for me. I am fixed ashore, and yet I
love travel and adventure, and have seen sights in more lands than
England."

"So! now. I'm glad thou hast not lived a worm 'twixt book covers.
Thou art a fellow of some parts, I'll warrant me. There's plenty of
spring in thy walk for one who hath pored much over books. How art
thou now with, say, the sword?"

"I have held my own with fellows of more inches than myself."

The sailor pinched his companion's biceps, and took a grip of his
wrist. "Supple enough, brother, or I'm no judge."

"Oh! I should second thee well in a tussle, never fear," laughed the
little man.

"And give me a merry time should we draw on one another."

"Oh! we are not going to fight. I am a peaceable wayfarer, glad of a
cheery companion on a dull day. But I would offer thee a scrap of
advice. Jingle not thy money so easily to the first man that offers
thee a friendly greeting. I have known the chink of gold turn a good
friend into an ill foe."

"True, true. But I'll swear to thy honesty."

"A thousand thanks for the compliment."

Thus the two chance companions trudged on side by side to the south
gate of Gloucester. There the pressure of a crowd brought them to a
halt for a few minutes. There was a noise of yelling and booing, and
some exclamations that caused the sailor's companion to wince.

The pressure at the gate slackening, the two pushed through and hurried
after the noisy throng. "Some fellow being whipped at the cart-tail,"
exclaimed the man of Devon, stretching his tall form to look over the
heads of the swaying mob.

"Two of 'em, friend; Papishers both," remarked a delighted citizen.

"Oh!" exclaimed the younger wayfarer.

The citizen pointed first to the right and then to the left. "Ruins of
Greyfriars Monastery; ruins of Blackfriars. One rascal caught in
either place praying that the doom of Sodom and Gomorrah might fall on
our town, because he and his fellow vermin were driven out years ago.
I must push ahead and beg the hangman to let me have a cut or two at
them. They cursed me by bell, book, and candle--but not by name, thank
the Lord: they didn't know that!"

"Why?" asked the little man.

"Because I--and many others, for the matter of that--have built a snug
house out of the stone of the monasteries. I'll have a cut at 'em if
it costs me a crown."

"Is this sort of thing to thy