eaden limbs along, when he heard
horses' feet and gay voices behind him. He turned with a joyful but wild
hope that the soldiers had relented and were bringing Denys back. But
no, it was a gay cavalcade. A gentleman of rank and his favourites in
velvet and furs and feathers; and four or five armed retainers in buff
jerkins.

They swept gaily by.

Gerard never looked at them after they were gone by: certain gay shadows
had come and passed; that was all. He was like one in a dream. But he
was rudely wakened; suddenly a voice in front of him cried harshly,
"Stand and deliver!" and there were three of the gentleman's servants in
front of him. They had ridden back to rob him.

"How, ye false knaves," said he, quite calmly; "would ye shame your
noble master? He will hang ye to the nearest tree;" and with these words
he drew his sword doggedly, and set his back to the hedge.

One of the men instantly levelled his petronel at him.

But another, less sanguinary, interposed. "Be not so hasty! And be not
thou so mad! Look yonder!"

Gerard looked, and scarce a hundred yards off the nobleman and his
friends had halted, and sat on their horses, looking at the lawless
act, too proud to do their own dirty work, but not too proud to reap
the fruit, and watch lest their agents should rob them of another man's
money.

The milder servant then, a good-natured fellow, showed Gerard resistance
was vain; reminded him common thieves often took the life as well as the
purse, and assured him it cost a mint to be a gentleman; his master had
lost money at play overnight, and was going to visit his leman, and so
must take money where he saw it.

"Therefore, good youth, consider that we rob not for ourselves, and
deliver us that fat purse at thy girdle without more ado, nor put us to
the pain of slitting thy throat and taking it all the same."

"This knave is right," said Gerard calmly aloud but to himself. "I
ought not to fling away my life; Margaret would be so sorry. Take then
the poor man's purse to the rich man's pouch; and with it this; tell
him, I pray the Holy Trinity each coin in it may burn his hand, and
freeze his heart, and blast his soul for ever. Begone and leave me to my
sorrow!" He flung them the purse.

They rode away muttering; for his words pricked them a little; a very
little: and he staggered on, penniless now as well as friendless, till
he came to the edge of a wood. Then, though his heart could hardly feel
this sec