too, is the mill of le souris. old pierre le caron, who

owned it, was a right good comrade, and had ever a seat and a

crust for a weary archer. he was a man who wrought hard at all

that he turned his hand to; but he heated himself in grinding

bones to mix with his flour, and so through over-diligence he

brought a fever upon himself and died."

"tell me, aylward," said alleyne, "what was amiss with the door

of yonder inn that you should ask me to observe it."

"pardieu! yes, i had well-nigh forgot. what saw you on yonder

door?"

"i saw a square hole, through which doubtless the host may peep

when he is not too sure of those who knock."

"and saw you naught else?"

"i marked that beneath this hole there was a deep cut in the

door, as though a great nail had been driven in."

"and naught else?"

"no."

"had you looked more closely you might have seen that there was a

stain upon the wood. the first time that i ever heard my comrade

black simon laugh was in front of that door. i heard him once

again when he slew a french squire with his teeth, he being

unarmed and the frenchman having a dagger."

"and why did simon laugh in front of the inn-door!" asked john.

"simon is a hard and perilous man when he hath the bitter drop in

him; and, by my hilt! he was born for war, for there is little

sweetness or rest in him. this inn, the 'mouton d'or,' was kept

in the old days by one francois gourval, who had a hard fist and

a harder heart. it was said that many and many an archer coming

from the wars had been served with wine with simples in it, until

he slept, and had then been stripped of all by this gourval.

then on the morrow, if he made complaint, this wicked gourval

would throw him out upon the road or beat him, for he was a very

lusty man, and had many stout varlets in his service. this

chanced to come to simon's ears when we were at bordeaux

together, and he would have it that we should ride to cardillac

with a good hempen cord, and give this gourval such a scourging

as he merited. forth we rode then, but when we came to the

mouton d'or,' gourval had had word of our coming and its purpose,

so that the door was barred, nor was there any way into the

house. 'let us in, good master gourval!' cried simon, and 'let

us in, good master gourval!' cried i, but no word could we get

through the hole in the door, save that he would draw an arrow

upon us unless we went on our way. 'well, master gourval,' quoth

simon at last, 'this is but a sorry welcome, seeing that we have

ridden so far just to shake you by the hand.' 'canst shake me by

the hand without coming in,' said gourval. 'and how that?' asked

simon. 'by passing in your hand through the hole,' said he.

'nay, my hand is wounded,' quoth simon, 'and of such a size that

i cannot pass it in.' 'that need not hinder,' said gourval, who

was hot to be rid of us, 'pass in your left hand.' 'but i have

something for thee, gourval,' said simon. 'what then?' he asked.

'there was an english archer who slept here last week of the name

of hugh of nutbourne.' 'we have had many rogues here,' said

gourval. 'his conscience hath been heavy within him because he

owes you a debt of fourteen deniers, having drunk wine for which

he hath never paid. for the easing of his soul, he asked me to

pay the money to you as i passed.' now this gourval was very

greedy for money, so he thrust forth his hand for the fourteen

deniers, but simon had his dagger ready and he pinned his hand to

the door. 'i have paid the englishman's debt, gourval!' quoth

he, and so rode away, laughing so that he could scarce sit his

horse, leaving mine host still nailed to his door. such is the

story of the hole which you have marked, and of the smudge upon

the wood. i have heard that from that time english archers have

been better treated in the auberge of cardillac. but what have

we here by the wayside?"

"it appears to be a very holy man," said alleyne.

"and, by the rood! he hath some strange wares," cried john.

"what are these bits of stone, and of wood, and rusted nails,

which are set out in front of him?"

the man whom they had remarked sat with his back against a

cherry-tree, and his legs shooting out in front of him, like one

who is greatly at his ease. across his thighs was a wooden

board, and scattered over it all manner of slips of wood and

knobs of brick and stone, each laid separate from the other, as a

huckster places his wares. he was dressed in a long gray gown,

and wore a broad hat of the same color, 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 an