e-pie, which he diluted with the contents
of two flasks of canary sack.

But wine, which sometimes creates and often increases joy, doth also,
upon occasion, heighten sorrow: and so it fared now with our portly
monk, who had no sooner explained away his portion of provender, than he
began to weep and bewail himself bitterly.

"Why dost thou weep, man?" said Robin Hood. "Thou hast done thine
embassy justly, and shalt have thy Lady's grace."

"Alack! alack!" said the monk: "no embassy had I, luckless sinner,
as well thou wottest, but to take to my abbey in safety the treasure
whereof thou hast despoiled me."

"Propound me his case," said Friar Tuck, "and I will give him ghostly
counsel."

"You well remember," said Robin Hood, "the sorrowful knight who dined
with us here twelve months and a day gone by."

"Well do I," said Friar Tuck. "His lands were in jeopardy with a certain
abbot, who would allow him no longer day for their redemption. Whereupon
you lent to him the four hundred pounds which he needed, and which he
was to repay this day, though he had no better security to give than our
Lady the Virgin."

"I never desired better," said Robin, "for she never yet failed to
send me my pay; and here is one of her own flock, this faithful and
well-favoured monk of St. Mary's, hath brought it me duly, principal and
interest to a penny, as Little John can testify, who told it forth. To
be sure, he denied having it, but that was to prove our faith. We sought
and found it."

"I know nothing of your knight," said the monk: "and the money was our
own, as the Virgin shall bless me."

"She shall bless thee," said Friar Tuck, "for a faithful messenger."

The monk resumed his wailing. Little John brought him his horse. Robin
gave him leave to depart. He sprang with singular nimbleness into the
saddle, and vanished without saying, God give you good day.

The stranger knight laughed heartily as the monk rode off.

"They say, sir knight," said Friar Tuck, "they should laugh who win: but
thou laughest who art likely to lose."

"I have won," said the knight, "a good dinner, some mirth, and some
knowledge: and I cannot lose by paying for them."

"Bravely said," answered Robin. "Still it becomes thee to pay: for it is
not meet that a poor forester should treat a rich knight. How much money
hast thou with thee?"

"Troth, I know not," said the knight. "Sometimes much, sometimes little,
sometimes none. But search, and what tho