ROBIN
Prince John is there?
LITTLE JOHN
Ay, and my lord Fitzwalter had best look
Well to my mistress Marian, if these ears
Heard right as I came creeping thro' their lines.
Look well to her, my lord, look well to her.
Come, master, come, for God's sake, come away.
FITZWALTER
Robin, this is thy rashness. I warned thee, boy!
Prince John! Nay, that's too perilous a jest
For even a prince to play with me. Come, Robin,
You must away and quickly.
ROBIN
Let me have
One word with Marian.
LITTLE JOHN
It would be the last
On earth. Come, if you ever wish to see
Her face again.
FITZWALTER
Come, Robin, are you mad?
You'll bring us all to ruin!
[_He opens a little door in the wall._]
The secret passage,
This brings you out by Much the Miller's wheel,
Thro' an otter's burrow in the river bank.
Come, quick, or you'll destroy us! Take this lanthorn.
If you're in danger, slip into the stream
And let it carry you down into the heart
Of Sherwood. Come now, quickly, you must go!
ROBIN
The old cave, lads, in Sherwood, you know where
To find me. Friar Tuck, bring Widow Scarlet
Thither to-morrow, with a word or two
From Lady Marian!
FITZWALTER
Quickly, quickly, go.
[_He pushes ROBIN and LITTLE JOHN into the opening and shuts
the door. A pause._]
Oh, I shall pay for this, this cursed folly!
Henceforth I swear I wash my hands of him!
[_Enter MARIAN, from a door on the right above the banqueting
hall. She pauses, pale and frightened, on the broad
steps leading down._]
MARIAN
Father, where's Robin?
FITZWALTER
Child, I bade you stay
Until I called you.
MARIAN
Something frightened me!
Father, where's Robin? Where's Robin?
FITZWALTER
Hush, Marian, hark!
[_All stand listening._]
SHADOW-OF-A-LEAF
[_Stealing to the foot of the stairs and whispering to LADY MARIAN._]
Lady, they're all so silent now. I'll tell you
I had a dream last night--there was a man
That bled to death, because of four grey walls
And a black-hooded nun.
FITZWALTER
[_Angrily._]
Hist, Shadow-of-a-Leaf!
[_The third bugle sounds. There is a clamour at the doors.
Enter PRINCE JOHN and his retainers._]
JOHN
[_Mockingly._]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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