"It is a beast that brays; I saw three yesterday on the road, all with loads going to the mill. Is that what you ask?" That is not what the squire has asked, and he is conscious that Marion knows it, but he tries again. If she has not seen a duck, perhaps she has seen a heron:-- Hairons, sire? par me foi, non! Je n'en vi nesun puis quareme Que j'en vi mengier chies dame Eme Me taiien qui sorit ches brebis. "Heron, sir! by my faith, no! I've not seen one since Lent when I saw some eaten at my grandmother's--Dame Emma who owns these sheep." "Hairons," it seems, meant also herring, and this wilful misunderstanding struck the chevalier as carrying jest too far:-- Par foi! or suis j'ou esbaubis! N'ainc mais je ne fui si gabes! "On my word, I am silenced! never in my life was I so chaffed!" Marion herself seems to think her joke a little too evident, for she takes up the conversation in her turn, only to conclude that she likes Robin better than she does the knight; he is gayer, and when he plays his musette he starts the whole village dancing. At this, the squire makes a declaration of love with such energy as to spur his horse almost over her:-- Aimi, sirel ostez vo cheval! A poi que il ne m'a blechie. Li Robin ne regiete mie Quand je voie apres se karue. "Aimi!" is an exclamation of alarm, real or affected: "Dear me, sir! take your horse away! he almost hurt me! Robin's horse never rears when I go behind his plough!" Still the knight persists, and though Marion still tells him to go away, she asks his name, which he says is Aubert, and so gives her the catchword for another song:--"Vos perdes vo paine, sire Aubert!"--which ends the scene with a duo. The second scene begins with a duo of Marion and Robin, followed by her giving a softened account of the chevalier's behaviour, and then they lunch on bread and cheese and apples, and more songs follow, till she sends him to get Baldwin and Walter and Peronette and the pipers, for a dance. In his absence the chevalier returns and becomes very pressing in his attentions, which gives her occasion to sing:- J'oi Robin flagoler Au flagol d'argent. When Robin enters, the knight picks a quarrel with him for not handling properly the falcon which he has caught in the hedge; and Robin gets a severe beating. The scene ends by the horseman carrying off Marion by force; but he soon gets tired of carrying her against her will, and drops her, and disappears once for all. Certes voirement sui je beste Quant a ceste beste m'areste. Adieu, bergiere!