When first the peddler came in, he looked about him hastily, as one seeking, but when he saw Calote, 't would seem as he sighed and stood at his ease.
“Yon 's thy beggar, is 't not?” asked Custance of Calote.
And Calote answered her: “Yea, lady!” and henceforth was mindful of him, and of the business.
There was one villein who craved leave to give his daughter in marriage,—and he had brought the money to pay. There was another who would be quit of his service of ploughing the lord's land, and he also brought his pence and counted them out in his hand, and the lord took them and gave him quittance for that time. In Yorkshire there were many villeins might commute service thus, and welcome. There was another had fought with his fellow in a tavern brawl, and both these the lord sent to the stocks. There was a young shepherd come to ask that he might have a lad with him to help him keep his flock; 't was a great flock and strayed over the wolds.
“Hast thou such a lad, bailiff?” growled Sir Austin. There was gold in wool,—'t were best keep it safe.
“Haply, Sir Austin,” said the bailiff, and thrust forward the peddler. “Here 's an idle fellow hath dawdled twixt the manor and the village these three days. He will not go, he will not stay; knoweth not his own mind. There 's enough idlers among them that make pretence to labour, and shall I countenance sloth that 's avowed open?”
“I-I-I 'm a free man,” said the peddler.
“A pox o' free men!” shouted Sir Austin. “No man is free to eat his head off in idleness o' my land. Wilt begone?”
“I-I-I,” stammered the peddler, looking on Calote, who had drawn nigh the better to learn what was going forward.
“Wilt stay?” roared Sir Austin.