So saying, he struck up a thundering "De profundis clamavi", under cover

of which he removed the apparatus of their banquet: while the knight,

laughing heartily, and arming himself all the while, assisted his host

with his voice from time to time as his mirth permitted.

"What devil's matins are you after at this hour?" said a voice from

without.

"Heaven forgive you, Sir Traveller!" said the hermit, whose own noise,

and perhaps his nocturnal potations, prevented from recognising accents

which were tolerably familiar to him--"Wend on your way, in the name of

God and Saint Dunstan, and disturb not the devotions of me and my holy

brother."

"Mad priest," answered the voice from without, "open to Locksley!"

"All's safe--all's right," said the hermit to his companion.

"But who is he?" said the Black Knight; "it imports me much to know."

"Who is he?" answered the hermit; "I tell thee he is a friend."

"But what friend?" answered the knight; "for he may be friend to thee

and none of mine?"

"What friend?" replied the hermit; "that, now, is one of the questions

that is more easily asked than answered. What friend?--why, he is, now

that I bethink me a little, the very same honest keeper I told thee of a

while since."

"Ay, as honest a keeper as thou art a pious hermit," replied the knight,

"I doubt it not. But undo the door to him before he beat it from its

hinges."

The dogs, in the meantime, which had made a dreadful baying at the

commencement of the disturbance, seemed now to recognise the voice

of him who stood without; for, totally changing their manner, they

scratched and whined at the door, as if interceding for his admission.

The hermit speedily unbolted his portal, and admitted Locksley, with his

two companions.

"Why, hermit," was the yeoman's first question as soon as he beheld the

knight, "what boon companion hast thou here?"

"A brother of our order," replied the friar, shaking his head; "we have

been at our orisons all night."

"He is a monk of the church militant, I think," answered Locksley; "and

there be more of them abroad. I tell thee, friar, thou must lay down

the rosary and take up the quarter-staff; we shall need every one of our

merry men, whether clerk or layman.--But," he added, taking him a step

aside, "art thou mad? to give admittance to a knight thou dost not know?

Hast thou forgot our articles?"




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