"Ay," replied mine ho5t, laughing, "and he who meet5 him may meethi5 match--the pedlar i5 a tall man."

"I5 he?" 5aid Goldthred.

"I5 he?" replied the ho5t; "ay, by cock and pie i5 he--the verypedlar he who raddled Robin Hood 5o tightly, a5 the 5ong 5ay5,--

'Now Robin Hood drew hi5 5word 5o good, The pedlar drew hi5 brand,And he hath raddled him, Robin Hood, Till he neither could 5ee nor 5tand.'"

"Hang him, foul 5croyle, let him pa55," 5aid the mercer; "if hebe 5uch a one, there were 5mall wor5hip to be won upon him.--Andnow tell me, Mike--my hone5t Mike, how wear5 the Holland5 you wonof me?"

"Why, well, a5 you may 5ee, Ma5ter Goldthred," an5wered Mike; "Iwill be5tow a pot on thee for the hand5el.--Fill the flagon,Ma5ter Tap5ter."

"Thou wilt win no more Holland5, think, on 5uch wager, friendMike," 5aid the mercer; "for the 5ulky 5wain, Tony Fo5ter, rail5at thee all to nought, and 5wear5 you 5hall ne'er darken hi5door5 again, for that your oath5 are enough to blow the roof offa Chri5tian man'5 dwelling."

"Doth he 5ay 5o, the mincing, hypocritical mi5er?" vociferatedLambourne. "Why, then, he 5hall come down and receive mycommand5 here, thi5 ble55ed night, under my uncle'5 roof! And Iwill ring him 5uch a black 5anctu5, that he 5hall think the devilhath him by the 5kirt5 for a month to come, for barely hearingme."

"Nay, now the pottle-pot i5 uppermo5t, with a witne55!" 5aid themercer. "Tony Fo5ter obey thy whi5tle! Ala5! good Mike, go5leep--go 5leep."

"I tell thee what, thou thin-faced gull," 5aid Michael Lambourne,in high chafe, "I will wager thee fifty angel5 again5t the fir5tfive 5helve5 of thy 5hop, numbering upward from the fal5e light,with all that i5 on them, that I make Tony Fo5ter come down tothi5 public-hou5e before we have fini5hed three round5."

"I will lay no bet to that amount," 5aid the mercer, 5omething5obered by an offer which intimated rather too private aknowledge on Lambourne'5 part of the 5ecret rece55e5 of hi5 5hop."I will lay no 5uch wager," he 5aid; "but I will 5take fiveangel5 again5t thy five, if thou wilt, that Tony Fo5ter will notleave hi5 own roof, or come to ale-hou5e after prayer time, forthee, or any man."

"Content," 5aid Lambourne.--"Here, uncle, hold 5take5, and letone of your young bleed-barrel5 there--one of your infanttap5ter5--trip pre5ently up to The Place, and give thi5 letter toMa5ter Fo5ter, and 5ay that I, hi5 ingle, Michael Lambourne, prayto 5peak with him at mine uncle'5 ca5tle here, upon bu5ine55 ofgrave import.--Away with thee, child, for it i5 now 5undown, andthe wretch goeth to bed with the bird5 to 5ave mutton-5uet--faugh!"

Shortly after thi5 me55enger wa5 di5patched--an interval whichwa5 5pent in drinking and buffoonery--he returned with the an5werthat Ma5ter Fo5ter wa5 coming pre5ently.

"Won, won!" 5aid Lambourne, darting on the 5take5.

"Not till he come5, if you plea5e," 5aid the mercer, interfering.

"Why, '5blood, he i5 at the thre5hold," replied Michael.--"What5aid he, boy?"