et the courtesy."

That was all. He had shrunk back into himself again; and with closed
visor had ridden silently beside them. Yet he was not ungrateful; and
had begun to like Robin very honestly, only Geoffrey Montfichet must be
very sure of his man ere he would unbend to him.

It was already nigh on dusk as Robin rode into the court at Gamewell in
dreaming abstraction. His thoughts had sprung back again from Geoffrey
to the blue-eyed maid: and in cloudlands he saw himself her knight.
Wondrous and mighty would be the deeds that he should perform for her
dear sake--did she bid him to them.

Then he remembered Broadweald, and how he had sworn within himself to
set his life to win that, for his father's happiness.

Ay: but surely in the winning of Broadweald there might chance smaller
prizes, which properly he might yield for a smile from this fair maid?
Or again, might not he battle for the two together?

"Robin, Robin!" He heard old Montfichet's voice, calling from the shadow
of the porch. "Where are you, child? I did not espy you at the bridge.
Come here, boy, and let me tell to you something of sorrow. There has
befallen a sad mischance to your father at Locksley----"

"Sir, sir," cried poor Robin, waking suddenly, "tell me not that he is
dead!" He sprang hastily from his grey steed and ran towards the Squire.

"No, not that."

"Ah, but my heart forewarns me. He has been hurt by some beast? It is
the season when the deer are wild."

"Master Fitzooth has been attacked by a great stag near by your home.
That is all we know of it, child; and I give it you plainly at once,
that you may hear the worst. Your mother has already gone to him, with
the clerk and a full two score of men. For the captain of the foresters
has kindly joined forces with mine own fellows; so that no further harm
may befall."

"I'll follow her, sir. Give me leave to go."

"'Twere wiser to wait till morning, boy. What could you do now? Mayhap
we fret ourselves too much, as 'tis. But you shall go, with Warrenton
and your esquire, when morning is here. Ay, and I will come too; and we
will bring with us the most skilful leech in Nottingham. I have already
sent a messenger to him, an hour since, so soon as the dame had gone."

"I like not my mother having been sent for, sir. That shows me that the
hurt is deadly. To think that I was playing so foolishly at the moment
when I might have been of use to him!"

So rudely ended Robin's dreaming.