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284 same colour, much weather-stained, with three scallop-shells dangling from the brim. As they approached, the travellers observed that he was advanced in years, and that his eyes were upturned and yellow.

'Dear knights and gentlemen,' he cried in a high crackling voice, 'worthy Christian cavaliers, will ye ride past and leave an aged pilgrim to die of hunger? The sight hath been burned from mine eyes by the sands of the Holy Land, and I have had neither crust of bread nor cup of wine these two days past.'

'By my hilt! father,' said Aylward, looking keenly at him, 'it is a marvel to me that thy girdle should have so goodly a span and clip thee so closely, if you have in sooth had so little to place within it.'

'Kind stranger,' answered the pilgrim, 'you have unwittingly spoken words which are very grievous to me to listen to. Yet I should be loth to blame you, for I doubt not that what you said was not meant to sadden me, nor to bring my sore affliction back to my mind. It ill becomes me to prate too much of what I have endured for the faith, and yet, since you have observed it, I must tell you that this thickness and roundness of the waist is caused by a dropsy brought on by over-haste in journeying from the house of Pilate to the Mount of Olives.'

'There, Aylward,' said Alleyne, with a reddened cheek, 'let that curb your blunt tongue. How could you bring a fresh pang to this holy man, who hath endured so much and hath journeyed as far as Christ's own blessed tomb?'

'May the foul fiend strike me dumb!' cried the bowman in hot repentance; but both the palmer and Alleyne threw up their hands to stop him.

'I forgive thee from my heart, dear brother,' piped the blind man. 'But, oh, these wild words of thine are worse to mine ears than aught which you could say of me.'

'Not another word shall I speak,' said Aylward; 'but here is a florin for thee and I crave thy blessing.'

'And here is another,' said Alleyne.