his monkish robe, "let us enter and seek alms from these poor sinners.

Pax vobiscum! Ay," he added, in his own voice, "'tis as I feared; I

have somewhat lost the whine of it; and by your leave, good Master

Shelton, ye must suffer me to practise in these country places, before

that I risk my fat neck by entering Sir Daniel's. But look ye a little,

what an excellent thing it is to be a Jack-of-all-trades! An I had not

been a shipman, ye had infallibly gone down in the Good Hope; an I had

not been a thief, I could not have painted me your face; and but that I

had been a Grey Friar, and sung loud in the choir, and ate hearty at the

board, I could not have carried this disguise, but the very dogs would

have spied us out and barked at us for shams."

He was by this time close to the window of the farm, and he rose on his

tip-toes and peeped in.

"Nay," he cried, "better and better. We shall here try our false faces

with a vengeance, and have a merry jest on Brother Capper to boot."

And so saying, he opened the door and led the way into the house.

Three of their own company sat at the table, greedily eating. Their

daggers, stuck beside them in the board, and the black and menacing looks

which they continued to shower upon the people of the house, proved that

they owed their entertainment rather to force than favour. On the two

monks, who now, with a sort of humble dignity, entered the kitchen of the

farm, they seemed to turn with a particular resentment; and one--it was

John Capper in person--who seemed to play the leading part, instantly and

The Black Arrow