of the movables of Holy Church, I trow, they must be handled softly,
forsooth! Tut, tut, beldame, they are--let me see, so it runs; the old
clerk of St Chad's rang the nomine in my ears long enough, and I am
not like to forget it. They be 'Trinitarians,' said he, 'of the house
of St Robert near Knaresborough, admitted by Brother Robert, the
minister of the Holy Trinity, for the redemption of captives
imprisoned by the pagans, for the faith of Jesus Christ.' Gramercy,
what a bead-roll of hard words! They say we are like to have a '_Holy
War_' again, when we have settled our own reckonings; and the blood
and groats of old England are again to be spent for the purchase of
'_Holy Land_.' O' my halidome, wench, but I would let all the priests
and friars fight for it. Cunning rogues! they set us together by the
ears, and then run away with the pudding."

No doubt this profane speech rendered him easier of access to the
tempter, and the powers of evil; who, ever watchful for the slips of
silly mortals, report such unholy words at head-quarters, where Satan
and his crew are assembled in full council.

The dame groaned deeply at this reply from her graceless husband.

"Some time or another," said she, "thou wilt rue these wicked
speeches; and who knows whether these very words of thine may not have
been heard i' the Fairies' Chapel, or whispered away beyond the forest
to the witches' tryst!"

"I care not for all the imps and warlocks i' th' parish, hags and old
women to boot. Let them come face to face. Here am I, honest Ralph the
miller, who never took toll from an empty sack, nor e'er missed the
mouth of a full one. Tol-de-rol."

Here he stood, with arms akimbo, as if daring the whole fellowship of
Satan, with their abettors and allies. This speech, too, was doubtless
reported at the Fairies' Chapel hard by; for the dame vowed ever after
that she heard, as it were, an echo, or a low sooning sound, ending
with an eldritch laugh, amongst the rocks in that direction. This
well-known haunt of the elves and fays, ere they had fled before the
march of science and civilisation, was but a good bowshot from the
mill, and would have terrified many a stouter heart, had not
familiarity lulled their apprehensions, and habit blunted the edge of
their fears. Strangers often wondered that any human being dared to
sojourn so near the haunts of the "good people," and were sure that,
sooner or later, the inhabitants would rue so dangerous