ONE:His temper had grown a little difficult of late yearsit had never been a particularly pleasant one, but it had been fierce rather than quick. His sons felt uneasily that they were partly responsible for thisthey irritated him by asserting their independence. Also he suspected them of a lack of enthusiasm. He had tried to arrange a marriage for David with the daughter of the new farmer at Kitchenhour. She was ten years older than he, and not strikingly beautiful, but she satisfied Reuben's requirements by being as strong as a horse and having a hundred a year of her own. His indignation was immense when David refused this prize."And is this thy counsel, father John?" said Tyler, reproachfully: "but, by St. Nicholas! this robber of the high altar shall not depart scatheless. Kentish men!my horse, my horse!" and he stamped his armed heels upon the pavement.
TWO:"Robin Wells!" repeated Holgrave, with a long inquiring look. "Noyou are safe! I hardly think the foul fiend himself would detect you. Now I call you to mindyour eyes and mouth are little Robin'sbut the brown skin and the black hair"
ONE:"And thus they could serve the Lord's anointed!" said Turner, compassionately, as he looked on the livid and swollen face and trembling limbs of him, whom he had ever, till now, seen with the beauty of holiness giving dignity to his fine countenance, and with the vigour of manhood exhibited in every motion of his muscular form. "Hark!" added the smith, starting"there is a scuffle outside! Tom Merritt will have enough of them." For an instant he paused, and then, snatching up one of the cords that had tied the monk, he severed it with his axe from the ring in the wall, and passing one end round the monk's arm, fastened the other round his own waist. "Now you will have no trouble in holding by mekeep close. Here, father, could you not hold this? it might keep off some scurvy knave," drawing a sharp wood-knife from his belt, and placing it in the monk's tremulous hand. Turner then ordering the few who were with him to cover the retreat, to keep compact as they followed, and to strike at all within reach, with a keen-edged battle-axe in his right hand, and a formidable club, pointed with steel and firmly bound with iron, in his left, he hurried from the dungeon."You dare miscall me," and the two men, mad with private hate and public humiliation, flew at each other's throats.
TWO:There was another silence. Then suddenly Reuben went to the door and opened it.
