er Wicliff has
the ordering of it. Thou vile thief! it is you, and such as you, who
bring an evil name upon the many churchmen who lead a pure and a holy
life. Thou outside the door of heaven! Art more like to be inside the
door of hell."

At this crowning insult the sompnour, with a face ashen with rage,
raised up a quivering hand and began pouring Latin imprecations upon
the angry alderman. The latter, however, was not a man to be quelled by
words, for he caught up his ell-measure sword-sheath and belabored the
cursing clerk with it. The latter, unable to escape from the shower
of blows, set spurs to his mule and rode for his life, with his enemy
thundering behind him. At sight of his master's sudden departure, the
varlet Watkin set off after him, with the pack-mule beside him, so that
the four clattered away down the road together, until they swept round
a curve and their babble was but a drone in the distance. Sir Nigel
and Alleyne gazed in astonishment at one another, while Ford burst out
a-laughing.

"Pardieu!" said the knight, "this David Micheldene must be one of those
Lollards about whom Father Christopher of the priory had so much to say.
Yet he seemed to be no bad man from what I have seen of him."

"I have heard that Wicliff hath many followers in Norwich," answered
Alleyne.

"By St. Paul! I have no great love for them," quoth Sir Nigel. "I am a
man who am slow to change; and, if you take away from me the faith that
I have been taught, it would be long ere I could learn one to set in its
place. It is but a chip here and a chip there, yet it may bring the tree
down in time. Yet, on the other hand, I cannot but think it shame that a
man should turn God's mercy on and off, as a cellarman doth wine with a
spigot."

"Nor is it," said Alleyne, "part of the teachings of that mother Church
of which he had so much to say. There was sooth in what the alderman
said of it."

"Then, by St. Paul! they may settle it betwixt them," quoth Sir Nigel.
"For me, I serve God, the king and my lady; and so long as I can keep
the path of honor I am well content. My creed shall ever be that of
Chandos:

"Fais ce que dois--adviegne que peut,
C'est commande au chevalier."

CHAPTER XXVIII. HOW THE COMRADES CAME OVER THE MARCHES OF FRANCE

After passing Cahors, the party branched away from the main road, and
leaving the river to the north of them, followed a smaller track which
wound over a vast and de