“Give him a good horse, also,” whispered Marian. “‘Tis a gift which will come back four-fold, for this is a worthy man. I know him well.” So the horse was given, also, and Robin bade Arthur-a-Bland ride with the knight as far as his castle, as esquire. The knight was sorrowful no longer; yet he could hardly voice his thanks through his broken utterance. And having spent the night in rest, after listening to Allan-a-Dale’s singing, he mounted his new steed the following morning an altogether different man. “God save you, comrades, and keep you all!” said he, with deep feeling in his tones; “and give me a grateful heart!” “We shall wait for you twelve months from to-day, here in this place,” said Robin, shaking him by the hand; “and then you will repay us the loan, if you have been prospered.” “I shall return it to you within the year, upon my honor as Sir Richard of the Lea. And for all time, pray count on me as a steadfast friend.” So saying the knight and his esquire rode down the forest glade till they were lost to view. CHAPTER XVII HOW THE BISHOP WAS DINED “O what is the matter?” then said the Bishop, “Or for whom do you make this a-do? Or why do you kill the King’s venison, When your company is so few?” “We are shepherds,” quoth bold Robin Hood, “And we keep sheep all the year, And we are disposed to be merrie this day, And to kill of the King’s fat deer.” Not many days after Sir Richard of the Lea came to Sherwood Forest, word reached Robin Hood’s ears that my lord Bishop of Hereford would be riding that way betimes on that morning. ‘Twas Arthur-a-Bland, the knight’s quondam esquire, who brought the tidings, and Robin’s face brightened as he heard it. “Now, by our Lady!” quoth he, “I have long desired to entertain my lord in the greenwood, and this is too fair a chance to let slip. Come, my men, kill me a venison; kill me a good fat deer. The Bishop of Hereford is to dine with me today, and he shall pay well for his cheer.” “Shall we dress it here, as usual?” asked Much, the miller’s son. “Nay, we play a droll game on the churchman. We will dress it by the highway side, and watch for the Bishop narrowly, lest he should ride some other way.”