"Oho!" cried the friar, "and is it thou, Simon? Trouble ye the world yet, child of Satan?"
Hereupon the blind man fell upon his knees. "Holy father," he groaned, clasping his withered arms upon his gaunt breast, "good Friar Gui I die of hunger; aid me lest I perish. 'Tis true I am outlaw and no man may minister unto me, yet be merciful, give me to eat--O gentle Christ, aid me--"
"How!" cried the friar, "dare ye speak that name, ye that are breaker of laws human and divine, ye that are murderer, dare ye lift those bloody hands to heaven?"
"Holy sir," quoth Beltane, "he hath but one; I pray you now give him to eat."
"Feed an outlaw! Art mad, young sir? Feed a murderer, a rogue banned by Holy Church, a serf that hath raised hand 'gainst his lord? He should have hanged when the witch his daughter burned, but that Sir Pertolepe, with most rare mercy, gave to the rogue his life."
"But," sighed Beltane, "left him to starve--'tis a death full as sure yet slower, methinks. Come, let us feed him."
"I tell thee, fond youth, he is excommunicate. Wouldst have me contravene the order of Holy Church? Go to!"
Then my Beltane put his hand within his pouch and taking thence a gold piece held it out upon his palm; said he:
"Friar, I will buy the half of thy pasty of thee!" Hereupon Friar Gui stared from the gold to the pasty, and back again.
"So much!" quoth he, round-eyed. "Forsooth 'tis a noble pasty and yet-- nay, nay, tempt me not--_retro Sathanas!_" and closing his eyes he crossed himself. Then Beltane took out other two gold pieces and set them in the blind man's bony hand, saying:
"Take these three gold pieces and buy you food, and thereafter--"
"Gold!" cried the blind man, "gold! Now the Saints keep and bless thee, young sir, sweet Jesu love thee ever!" and fain would he have knelt to kiss my Beltane's feet. But Beltane raised him up with gentle hand, speaking him kindly, as thus:
"Tell now, I pray you, how came ye to slay?"
"Stay! stay!" cried Friar Gui, "bethink thee, good youth--so much gold, 'tis a very fortune! With so much, masses might be sung for his wretched soul; give it therefore to Holy Church, so shall he, peradventure, attain Paradise."
"Not so," answered Beltane, "I had rather he, of a surety, attain a full belly, Sir Friar." Then, turning his back upon the friar, Beltane questioned the blind man again, as thus: