"Who are you, boys?"
"The sons of the Lord of Wallingford."
"How came you here?"
"Lost in the woods."
"But Wallingford is far away to the south."
"We are on our road home; can you give us some food?"
"If you will come to my house, you shall have what I can give you. Why! what is the matter with that hand, that cheek? Good heavens, ye are lepers; keep off!"
The poor boys stood rooted to the spot with shame.
"And ye have defiled my hay—no one will dare touch it. I have a great mind to shut you both in, and burn you and the hay together."
"That you shall not," said the fierce Evroult, and dashed through the open door, almost upsetting the man, who was so afraid of touching the lepers that he could offer no effective resistance, and the two got off.