-A-LEAF

Oh, you should talk in rhyme! The world should sing
Just for this once in tune, if Love were king!

SECOND OUTLAW

Here's deer-skins, for a carpet, smooth and meek.

SHADOW-OF-A-LEAF

I knew you would! Ha! ha! Now look at what I bring!

[_He throws flowers into the hut, spray by spray, speaking in a
kind of ecstasy._]

Here's lavender and love and sweet wild thyme,
And dreams and blue-bells that the fairies chime,
Here's meadow-sweet and moonlight, bound in posies,
With ragged robin, traveller's joy and roses,
And here--just three leaves from a weeping willow;
And here--that's best--deep poppies for your pillow.

MUCH

And here's a pillow that I made myself,
Stuffed with dry rose-leaves and grey pigeon's down,
The softest thing on earth except my heart!

SHADOW-OF-A-LEAF

[_Going aside and throwing himself down among the ferns to watch._]

Just three sweet breaths and then the song is flown!

[_MUCH looks at him for a moment with a puzzled face, then turns to the hut
again._]

MUCH

Jenny, here, take it--though I'm fond of comforts,
Take it and give it to Maid Marian.

JENNY

Why, Much, 'tis bigger than thyself.

MUCH

Hush, child.
I meant to use it lengthways. 'Twould have made
A feather-bed complete for your poor Much,
Take it!

[_The OUTLAWS all go into the cave._]

MARIAN

O Robin, what a fairy palace!
How cold and grey the walls of castles seem
Beside your forest's fragrant halls and bowers.
I do not think that I shall be afraid
To sleep this night, as I have often been
Beneath our square bleak battlements.

ROBIN

And look,
Between the boughs, there is your guard, all night,
That great white star, white as an angel's wings,
White as the star that shone on Bethlehem!
Good-night, sweetheart, good-night!

MARIAN

Good-night!

ROBIN

One kiss!
Oh, clear bright eyes, dear heavens of sweeter stars,
Where angels play, and your own sweeter soul
Smiles like a child into the face of God,
Good-night! Good-night!

[_MARIAN goes into the hut. The door is shut. ROBIN goes to
the mouth of the ca