Page:The Sundering Flood - Morris - 1898.djvu/101

 me as thy guest. Nay, goodman, wilt thou turn me from thy door and deny me guesting? What sayest thou to that, Fiddle-bow, my sharp dear? said he, handling his sword. Now the goodman crept away, and Surly John says that he wept.

But Osberne came forward as smiling and debonair as erst, and he said: Fair sir, one thing I crave of thee to tell me, to wit, is there no other way out of this thraldom, for well thou wottest that no man would be a thrall might he help it? Well, my lad, quoth the warrior smiling, for now after his talk with the goodman he was in better humour, when thou growest older thou wilt find that saw of thine belied many-wise, and that many there be who are not loth to be thralls. But as to what way there may be out of this thraldom, I will tell thee the way, as I was about to do with the goodman; though whereas he is but little-hearted, and there is none else fight-worthy in the house, save it were this lubber in front Well thou, why art thou skellying, man, as if thou wouldst cast the eyes out of thine head on either side? Quoth Stephen: I was grown so afraid of thee, fair sir, that I wotted not where to look, so I thought my eyes would do me least harm if they looked down along my nose. Quoth Hardcastle: I begin to see how it will go with thee, great lout, that in the first days of my mastership thine hide shall pay for thy folly. Stephen squinted none the less, but his whittle was yet in his belt. Now Hardcastle went on speaking to Osberne, and