Page:A C Doyle - The White Company.djvu/316

286 thrown at the sainted Stephen, and the other two are from the Tower of Babel. Here, too, is part of Aaron's rod and a lock of hair from Elisha the prophet.'

'But, father,' quoth Alleyne, 'the holy Elisha was bald, which brought down upon him the revilements of the wicked children.'

'It is very true that he had not much hair,' said the palmer quickly, 'and it is this which makes this relic so exceedingly precious. Take now your choice of these, my worthy gentlemen, and pay such a price as your consciences will suffer you to offer; for I am not a chapman nor a huckster, and. I would never part with them, did I not know that I am very near to my reward.'

'Aylward,' said Alleyne excitedly, 'this is such a chance as few folk have twice in one life. The nail I must have, and I will give it to the Abbey of Beaulieu, so that all the folk in England may go thither to wonder and to pray.'

'And I will have the stone from the temple,' cried Hordle John. 'What would not my old mother give to have it hung over her bed?'

'And I will have Aaron's rod,' quoth Aylward. 'I have but five florins in the world, and here are four of them.'

'Here are three more,' said John.

'And here five more,' added Alleyne. 'Holy father, I hand you twelve florins, which is all that we can give, though we well know how poor a pay it is for the wondrous things which you sell us.'

'Down, pride, down!' cried the pilgrim, still beating upon his chest. 'Can I not bend myself then to take this sorry sum which is offered me for that which has cost me the labours of a life? Give me the dross! Here are the precious relies, and, oh, I pray you that you will handle them softly and with reverence, else had I rather left my unworthy bones here by the wayside.'

With doffed caps and eager hands, the comrades took their new and precious possessions, and pressed onwards upon their journey, leaving the aged palmer still seated