goodman, and I
will not spare to show thee my title." Therewith he drew forth his
sword, a great and heavy blade, and cast it rattling on the board
before him and said: "There is my title, goodman; wilt thou ask a
better?" The goodman groaned and said: "At least, lord, I pray thee
take not all I have, but leave me some little whereby to live, and
thereof I will pay somewhat year by year, if the seasons be good."

"My friend," quoth Hardcastle, "by the title that lieth yonder I have
gotten thy wealth, and every jot of it might I keep if I would. But
see how kind I am to thee and thine. For have I not told you that ye
shall live in this house, and eat the sweet and drink the strong and
lie warm a-nights, so long as ye do my will?"

"Yea," said the goodman, "but we must needs toil as thralls." "Great
fool," said Hardcastle, "what matters that to thee? It is like thou
shalt work no harder than erst, or no harder than may be enough to
keep me as thy guest. Nay, goodman, wilt thou turn me from thy door
and deny me guesting? What sayest thou to that, Fiddlebow, my sharp
dear?" said he, handling his sword. Now the goodman crept away, and
Surly John says that he wept.

But Osberne came forward as smiling and debonaire as erst, and he
said: "Fair sir, one thing I crave of thee to tell me, to wit, is
there no other way out of this thraldom, for well thou wottest that no
man would be a thrall might he help it?" "Well, my lad," quoth the
warrior smiling, for now after his talk with the goodman he was in
better humour, "when thou growest older thou wilt find that saw of
thine belied manywise, and that many there be who are not loth to be
thralls. But as to what way there may be out of this thraldom, I will
tell thee the way, as I was about to do with the goodman; though
whereas he is but little-hearted, and there is none else fight-worthy
in the house, save it were this lubber in front-- Well thou, why art
thou skellying, man, as if thou wouldst cast the eyes out of thine
head on either side?" Quoth Stephen: "I was grown so afraid of thee,
fair sir, that I wotted not where to look, so I thought my eyes would
do me least harm if they looked down along my nose." Quoth Hardcastle:
"I begin to see how it will go with thee, great lout, that in the
first days of my mastership thine hide will pay for thy folly."
Stephen squinted none the less, but his whittle was yet in his belt.

Now Hardcastle went on speaking to Osberne and said: "W