"Entrance and shelter for the night," replied Humphrey, promptly and concisely. The door opened a little wider and the man within stepping outside, his person was revealed. He was of medium height and spare, and he wore a long gray tunic of wool reaching to his knees. Beneath this garment his lean legs were bare, while on his feet he wore shoes of skin which reached to the ankle, and which were secured by thongs. Such as he Hugo and Humphrey had often seen, but never before a face like his, in which craftiness and credulity were strangely mingled. For several minutes he stood there, first scrutinizing Humphrey and then Hugo. At last Humphrey grew impatient. "Do we come in, or do we stay out?" he demanded. "Why, that I hardly know," was the slow answer. "There be many rogues about; some in priests' robes and some not." "Yea, verily," responded Humphrey, fervently; "but we be not of the number. _Pax vobiscum_," he added, hastily. "I had well nigh forgot that," he said in an aside to Hugo. But the old man's ears were keen, and he caught the aside meant for Hugo's ears alone. "Thou be but a sorry priest to forget thy _pax vobiscum_," he said with a crafty look. "Perchance thou art no priest," he added, coming closer and peering into Humphrey's face. He looked so long that Humphrey again grew impatient. "What seest thou on my face?" he asked. "Why, I do see a mole on thy nose. It is a very small one, and of scant size, but because thou hast it thou mayest come down from thy horse, thou and the lad with thee, and I will give thee lodging for the night." Instinctively Humphrey raised his hand and touched a tiny mole on the side and near the end of his nose. The man of the hut watched him. "I see thou knowest that a mole near the end of the nose is lucky," he said. "Not I," declared Humphrey. "I had not before heard of such a thing." The man of the hut regarded him pityingly. Then he said: "Come down from thy horse, thou unwitting lucky one, and come thou and the lad within while I do hide thy horses in a thick, for I would share thy luck. Dost not know that to show kindness to a lucky one is to share his fortune? Thou hadst not come within the hut but for thy mole, I warrant thee. For I do know that thou art the false priest and the young lord from Oundle that stopped not at St. Albans as ye were bid." Hugo and Humphrey looked at each other. Then Humphrey said, "I know not, after all, whether to come in or not." "Come in! come in!" cried the old man, eagerly. "I must share thy luck, and that could I not do if I played thee false. Come in!" Still hesitating, Humphrey glanced about him. He knew not who might be on his track. And then he decided to go in.