CHAPTER V. HOW A STRANGE COMPANY GATHERED AT THE “PIED MERLIN.”

-pods!Whatdotheydobutliveandsuckinsustenanceandgrowfat?Ifthatbeholiness,Icouldshowyouhogsinthisforestwhoarefittoheadthecalendar.Thinkyouitwasforsuchalifethatthisgoodarmwasfixeduponmyshoulder,orthatheadplaceduponyourneck?Thereisworkintheworld,man,anditisnotbyhidingbehindstonewallsthatweshalldoit.” “Why,then,didyoujointhebrothers?”askedAlleyne. “Afairenoughquestionbutitisasfairlyanswered.IjoinedthembecauseMargeryAlspaye,ofBolder,marriedCrookedThomasofRingwood,andleftacertainJohnofHordleinthecold,forthathewasaranting,rovingbladewhowasnottobetrustedinwedlock.Thatwaswhy,beingfondandhot-headed,Ilefttheworldandthatiswhy,havinghadtimetotakethought,Iamrightgladtofindmyselfbackinitoncemore.IllbetidethedaythateverItookoffmyyeoman'sjerkintoputonthewhitegown!” Whilsthewasspeakingthelandladycameinagain,bearingabroadplatter,uponwhichstoodallthebeakersandflagonschargedtothebrimwiththebrownaleortherubywine.Behindhercameamaidwithahighpileofwoodenplates,andagreatsheafofspoons,oneofwhichshehandedroundtoeachofthetravellers.Twoofthecompany,whoweredressedintheweather-stainedgreendoubletofforesters,liftedthebigpotoffthefire,andathird,withahugepewterladle,servedoutaportionofsteamingcollopstoeachguest.Alleyneborehisshareandhisale-mugawaywithhimtoaretiredtrestleinthecorner,wherehecouldsupinpeaceandwatchthestrangescene,whichwassodifferenttothosesilentandwell-orderedmealstowhichhewasaccustomed. Theroomwasnotunlikeastable.Thelowceiling,smoke-blackenedanddingy,waspiercedbyseveralsquaretrap-doorswithrough-hewnladdersleadinguptothem.Thewallsofbareunpaintedplankswerestuddedhereandtherewithgreatwoodenpins,placedatirregularintervalsandheights,fromwhichhungover-tunics,wallets,whips,bridles,andsaddles.Overthefireplaceweresuspendedsixorsevenshieldsofwood,withcoats-of-armsrudelydaubeduponthem,whichshowedbytheirvaryingdegreesofsmokinessanddirtthattheyhadbeenplacedthereatdifferentperiods.Therewasnofurniture,saveasinglelongdressercoveredwithcoarsecrockery,andanumberofwoodenbenchesandtrestles,thelegsofwhichsankdeeplyintothesoftclayfloor,whiletheonlylight,savethatofthefire,wasfurnishedbythreetorchesstuckinsocketsonthewall,whichflickeredandcrackled,givingforthastrongresinousodor.Allthiswasnovelandstrangetothecloister-bredyouthbutmostinterestingofallwasthemotleycircleofguestswhosateatingtheircollopsroundtheblaze.Theywereahumblegroupofwayfarers,suchasmighthavebeenfoundthatnightinanyinnthroughthelengthandbreadthofEnglandbuttohimtheyrepresentedthatvagueworldagainstwhichhehadbeensofrequentlyandsoearnestlywarned.Itdidnotseemtohimfromwhathecouldseeofittobesuchaverywickedplaceafterall. Threeorfourofthemenroundthefirewereevidentlyunderkeepersandverderersfromtheforest,sunburnedandbearded,withthequickrestlesseyeandlithemovementsofthedeeramongwhichtheylived.Closetothecornerofthechimneysatamiddle-agedgleeman,cladinafadedgarbofNorwichcloth,thetunicofwhichwassooutgrownthatitdidnotfastenattheneckandatthewaist.Hisfacewasswollenandcoarse,andhiswateryprotrudingeyesspokeofalifewhichneverwanderedveryfarfromthewine-pot.Agiltharp,blotchedwithmanystainsandwithtwoofitsstringsmissing,wastuckedunderoneofhisarms,whilewiththeotherhescoopedgreedilyathisplatter.Nexttohimsattwoothermenofaboutthesameage,onewithatrimmingoffurtohiscoat,whichgavehimadignitywhichwasevidentlydearertohimthanhiscomfort,forhestilldrewitroundhiminspiteofthehotglareofthefaggots.Theother,cladinadirtyrussetsuitwithalongsweepingdoublet,hadacunning,foxyfacewithkeen,twinklingeyesandapeakybeard.NexttohimsatHordleJohn,andbesidehimthreeotherroughunkemptfellowswithtangledbeardsandmattedhair—freelaborersfromtheadjoiningfarms,wheresmallpatchesoffreeholdpropertyhadbeensufferedtoremainscatteredaboutintheheartoftheroyaldemesne.Thecompanywascompletedbyapeasantinarudedressofundyedsheepskin,withtheold-fashionedgalligaskinsabouthislegs,andagaylydressedyoungmanwithstripedcloakjaggedattheedgesandparti-coloredhosen,wholookedabouthimwithhighdisdainuponhisface,andheldabluesmelling-flasktohisnosewithonehand,whilehebrandishedabusyspoonwiththeother.Inthecorneraveryfatmanwaslyingalla-sprawluponatruss,snoringstertorously,andevidentlyinthelaststageofdrunkenness. “ThatisWatthelimner,”quoththelandlady,sittingdownbesi