How?said the smith,in King Cambyses'vein,are we commanded to stand and deliver on the king's highway?Then out,Excalibur,and tell this knight of prowess that dire blows must decide between us!Haro and help,and hue and cry,every true man!said the mercer.I am withstood in seeking to recover mine own.Thou swearest thy gods in vain,foul paynim,said Wayland,for I will through with mine purpose were death at the end on't.
Nevertheless,know,thou false man of frail cambric and ferrateen,that I am he,even the pedlar,whom thou didst boast to meet on Maiden Castle moor,and despoil of his pack;wherefore betake thee to thy weapons presently.I spoke but in jest,man,said Goldthred;I am an honest shopkeeper and citizen,who scorns to leap forth on any man from behind a hedge.Then,by my faith,most puissant mercer,answered Wayland,Iam sorry for my vow,which was,that wherever I met thee I would despoil thee of thy palfrey,and bestow it upon my leman,unless thou couldst defend it by blows of force.But the vow is passed and registered,and all I can do for thee is to leave the horse at Donnington,in the nearest hostelry.But I tell thee,friend,said the mercer,it is the very horse on which I was this day to carry Jane Thackham,of Shottesbrok,as far as the parish church yonder,to become Dame Goldthred.
She hath jumped out of the shot-window of old Gaffer Thackham's grange;and lo ye,yonder she stands at the place where she should have met the palfrey,with her camlet riding-cloak and ivory-handled whip,like a picture of Lot's wife.I pray you,in good terms,let me have back the palfrey.Grieved am I,said Wayland,as much for the fair damsel as for thee,most noble imp of muslin.But vows must have their course;thou wilt find the palfrey at the Angel yonder at Donnington.It is all I may do for thee with a safe conscience.To the devil with thy conscience!said the dismayed mercer.
Wouldst thou have a bride walk to church on foot?Thou mayest take her on thy crupper,Sir Goldthred,answered Wayland;it will take down thy steed's mettle.And how if you--if you forget to leave my horse,as you propose?said Goldthred,not without hesitation,for his soul was afraid within him.
My pack shall be pledged for it--yonder it lies with Giles Gosling,in his chamber with the damasked leathern hangings,stuffed full with velvet,single,double,treble-piled--rash-taffeta,and parapa--shag,damask,and mocado,plush,and grogram--Hold!hold!exclaimed the mercer;nay,if there be,in truth and sincerity,but the half of these wares--but if ever I trust bumpkin with bonny Bayard again!As you list for that,good Master Goldthred,and so good morrow to you--and well parted,he added,riding on cheerfully with the lady,while the discountenanced mercer rode back much slower than he came,pondering what excuse he should make to the disappointed bride,who stood waiting for her gallant groom in the midst of the king's highway.
Methought,said the lady,as they rode on,yonder fool stared at me as if he had some remembrance of me;yet I kept my muffler as high as I might.If I thought so,said Wayland,I would ride back and cut him over the pate;there would be no fear of harming his brains,for he never had so much as would make pap to a sucking gosling.We must now push on,however,and at Donnington we will leave the oaf's horse,that he may have no further temptation to pursue us,and endeavour to assume such a change of shape as may baffle his pursuit if he should persevere in it.The travellers reached Donnington without further alarm,where it became matter of necessity that the Countess should enjoy two or three hours'repose,during which Wayland disposed himself,with equal address and alacrity,to carry through those measures on which the safety of their future journey seemed to depend.
Exchanging his pedlar's gaberdine for a smock-frock,he carried the palfrey of Goldthred to the Angel Inn,which was at the other end of the village from that where our travellers had taken up their quarters.In the progress of the morning,as he travelled about his other business,he saw the steed brought forth and delivered to the cutting mercer himself,who,at the head of a valorous posse of the Hue and Cry,came to rescue,by force of arms,what was delivered to him without any other ransom than the price of a huge quantity of ale,drunk out by his assistants,thirsty,it would seem,with their walk,and concerning the price of which Master Goldthred had a fierce dispute with the headborough,whom he had summoned to aid him in raising the country.
Having made this act of prudent as well as just restitution,Wayland procured such change of apparel for the lady,as well as himself,as gave them both the appearance of country people of the better class;it being further resolved,that in order to attract the less observation,she should pass upon the road for the sister of her guide.A good but not a gay horse,fit to keep pace with his own,and gentle enough for a lady's use,completed the preparations for the journey;for making which,and for other expenses,he had been furnished with sufficient funds by Tressilian.And thus,about noon,after the Countess had been refreshed by the sound repose of several hours,they resumed their journey,with the purpose of making the best of their way to Kenilworth,by Coventry and Warwick.They were not,however,destined to travel far without meeting some cause of apprehension.