CHAPTER XVIII. HOW SIR NIGEL LORING PUT A PATCH UPON HIS EYE.

ceamanwhohadnotclosedaneyeforthegreaterloveandhonorofhislady.Yetitgoeshardwithyouthatyoushoulddarkenoneside,whenwithbothopenyoucanscarcetellahorsefromamule.Intruth,friend,Ithinkthatyoustepoverthelineofreasoninthismatter.” “SirOliverButtesthorn,”saidthelittleknightshortly,“Iwouldhaveyoutounderstandthat,blindasIam,Icanyetseethepathofhonorveryclearly,andthatthatistheroaduponwhichIdonotcraveanotherman'sguidance.” “Bymysoul,”saidSirOliver,“youareastartasverjuicethismorning!IfyouarebentuponaquarrelwithmeImustleaveyoutoyourhumoranddropintothe'Teted'Or'here,forImarkedavarletpassthedoorwhobareasmokingdish,whichhad,methought,amostexcellentsmell.” “Nenny,nenny,”criedhiscomrade,layinghishanduponhisknee“wehaveknowneachotheroverlongtofallout,Oliver,liketworawpagesattheirfirstepreuves.Youmustcomewithmefirsttotheprince,andthenbacktothehostelthoughsureIamthatitwouldgrievehisheartthatanygentlecavaliershouldturnfromhisboardtoacommontavern.ButisnotthatmyLordDelewarwhowavestous?Ha!myfairlord,GodandOurLadybewithyou!AndthereisSirRobertCheney.Good-morrow,Robert!Iamrightgladtoseeyou.” Thetwoknightswalkedtheirhorsesabreast,whileAlleyneandFord,withJohnNorbury,whowassquiretoSirOliver,keptsomepacesbehindthem,aspear's-lengthinfrontofBlackSimonandoftheWinchesterguidon-bearer.Norbury,alean,silentman,hadbeentothosepartsbefore,andsathishorsewitharigidneckbutthetwoyoungsquiresgazedeagerlytorightorleft,andpluckedeachother'ssleevestocallattentiontothemanystrangethingsoneverysideofthem. “Seetothebravestalls!”criedAlleyne.“Seetothenoblearmorsetforth,andthecostlytaffeta—andoh,Ford,seetowherethescrivenersitswiththepigmentsandtheink-horns,andtherollsofsheepskinaswhiteastheBeaulieunapery!Sawmaneverthelikebefore?” “Nay,man,therearefinerstallsinCheapside,”answeredFord,whosefatherhadtakenhimtoLondononoccasionofoneoftheSmithfieldjoustings.“Ihaveseenasilversmith'sbooththerewhichwouldservetobuyeithersideofthisstreet.Butmarkthesehouses,Alleyne,howtheythrustforthuponthetop.Andseetothecoats-of-armsateverywindow,andbannerorpensilontheroof.” “Andthechurches!”criedAlleyne.“ThePrioryatChristchurchwasanoblepile,butitwascoldandbare,methinks,byoneofthese,withtheirfrettings,andtheircarvings,andtheirtraceries,asthoughsomegreativy-plantofstonehadcurledandwantonedoverthewalls.” “Andharktothespeechofthefolk!”saidFord.“Waseversuchahissingandclacking?IwonderthattheyhavenotwittolearnEnglishnowthattheyhavecomeundertheEnglishcrown.ByRichardofHampole!therearefairfacesamongstthem.Seethewenchwiththebrownwhimple!Outonyou,Alleyne,thatyouwouldrathergazeupondeadstonethanonlivingflesh!” Itwaslittlewonderthattherichnessandornament,notonlyofchurchandofstall,butofeveryprivatehouseaswell,shouldhaveimpresseditselfupontheyoungsquires.Thetownwasnowattheheightofitsfortunes.Besidesitstradeanditsarmorers,othercauseshadcombinedtopourwealthintoit.War,whichhadwroughteviluponsomanyfaircitiesaround,hadbroughtnoughtbutgoodtothisone.AsherFrenchsistersdecayedsheincreased,forhere,fromnorth,andfromeast,andfromsouth,cametheplundertobesoldandtheransommoneytobespent.Throughallhersixteenlandwardgatestherehadsetformanyyearsadoubletideofempty-handedsoldiershurryingFrancewards,andofenrichedandladenbandswhobroughttheirspoilshome.Theprince'scourt,too,withitsswarmofnoblebaronsandwealthyknights,manyofwhom,inimitationoftheirmaster,hadbroughttheirladiesandtheirchildrenfromEngland,allhelpedtoswellthecoffersoftheburghers.Now,withthisfreshinfluxofnoblemenandcavaliers,foodandlodgingwerescarcetobehad,andtheprincewashurryingforwardhisforcestoDaxinGasconyto