After telling me his fears, he repeated them more fully to Rothfuss. The latter shifted his pipe from one side of his mouth to the other, and asked, "What would you give not to suffer any damage?"
"How? what do you mean?
"They won't hurt my house; my father has the cross of St. Helena. And I have no cash. I can swear that I haven't a farthing in the house."
He spoke the truth, for he had buried his money.
"You need no money; it's something else. Do you know the story of the dragon of Rockesberg?"
"What do you want? What do you mean?"
"Why, to quiet the dragon, they had to sacrifice a maiden."
"Those are old tales. Don't try to make a fool of me. If you want a fool, whittle one for yourself."
"Stay! I know how you can buy yourself free. You needn't deliver your daughter Marie to the dragon. Will you promise to give her to Carl in case everything should turn out well?"
"Ho! he'll never come back."