For the maiden was giving him a farewell smile, being quite content with the good she had done, and the luck of recovering her property; and that sense of right which in those days formed a part of every good young woman said to her plainly that she must be off. And she felt how unkind it was to keep him any longer in a place where the muzzle of a gun, with a man behind it, might appear at any moment. But he, having plentiful breath again, was at home with himself to spend it. "Fair young lady," he began, for he saw that Mary liked to be called a lady, because it was a novelty, "owing more than I ever can pay you already, may I ask a little more? Then it is that on your way down to the sea, you would just pick up (if you should chance to see it) the fellow ring to this, and perhaps you will look at this to know it by. The one that was shot away flew against a stone just on the left of the mouth of the Dike, but I durst not stop to look for it, and I must not go back that way now. It is more to me than a hatful of gold, though nobody else would give a crown for it." "And they really shot away one of your earrings? Careless, cruel, wasteful men! What could they have been thinking of?" "They were thinking of getting what is called 'blood-money.' One hundred pounds for Robin Lyth. Dead or alive--one hundred pounds."... "Then are you the celebrated Robin Lyth--the new Robin Hood, as they call him? The man who can do almost anything?" "Mistress Anerley, I am Robin Lyth; but, as you have seen, I cannot do much.... They have missed the best chance they ever had at me; it will make their temper very bad. If they shot at me again, they could do no good. Crooked mood makes crooked mode." "You forget that I should not see such things. You may like very much to be shot at; but--but you should think of other people." "I shall think of you only--I mean of your great kindness, and your promise to keep my ring for me. Of course you will tell nobody. Carroway will have me like a tiger if you do. Farewell, young lady--for one week, fare well." With a wave of his hat he was gone, before Mary had time to retract her promise; and she thought of her mother. WILLIAM BLAKE (1757-1827)