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"Gold!" cried the blindsir, sweet Jesu love thee ever!" and fain would he have knelt to kiss entle hand, speaking him kindly, as thus: "Tell now, I pray you, how came ye to slay?"

"Stay! stay!" cried Friar Gui, "bethink thee, good youth--so ht be sung for his wretched soul; give it therefore to Holy Church, so shall he, peradventure, attain Paradise"

"Not so," answered Beltane, "I had rather he, of a surety, attain a full belly, Sir Friar" Then, turning his back upon the friar, Beltane questioned the blind ain, as thus: "Tell me, an ye will, how ye ca at Beltane's feet answered with bowed head: "Noble sir, I had a daughter and she was young and fair, therefore came my lord Pertolepe's chief verderer to bear her toh I was, smote the chief verderer that he died thereafter, but, ere he died, he nahter witch And, when they had burned her, they put out mine eyes, and cut off my hand, and made of me an outlaw So is my sin very heavy upon me"

Nohen the man haddown, he aided the blind man to his feet

"Go you to Mortain," said he, "seek out the hermit Ambrose that liveth in Holy Cross Thicket; with hie, and he, methinks, will surely win thy soul to heaven"

So the blind , crept upon his solitary way

"Youth," said the friar, frowning up into Beltane's gentle eyes, "thou hast this day put thy soul in jeopardy--the Church doth frown upon this thy deed!"

"And yet, most reverend sir, God's sun doth shine upon this my body!"

FRIAR "He who aideth an evil-doer is eneood to evil that good ood"

FRIAR "Ha! thou art a menace to the state--"

BELTANE "So shall I be, I pray God, the whiles this state continue!"

FRIAR "Thou art either rogue or fool!"

BELTANE "Well, thou hast thy choice"

FRIAR "Alack! this sorry world is full of rogues and fools and--"

BELTANE "And friars!"

FRIAR "Who seek the salvation of this wretched world"

BELTANE "As how?"