"Heaven prosper thee, and my greeting be unto thee. And whence dost thou come, scholar?" asked he.
"I come, lord, from singing in Lloegyr; and wherefore dost thou inquire?"
"Because, for the last seven years," answered he, "I have seen no man here save four secluded persons, and thyself this moment."
"Truly, lord," said he, "I go through this land unto mine own. And what work art thou upon, lord?"
"I am hanging a thief that I caught robbing me," said he.
"What manner of thief is that?" asked the scholar. "I see a creature in thy hand like unto a mouse; and ill does it become a man of rank equal to thine to touch a reptile such as this. Let it go forth free."
"I will not let it go free, by Heaven," said he. "I caught it robbing me, and the doom of a thief will I inflict upon it, and I will hang it."
"Lord," said he, "rather than see a man of rank equal to thine at such a work as this, I would give thee a pound, which I have received as alms, to let the reptile go forth free."
"I will not let it go free," said he, "by Heaven; neither will I sell it."
"As thou wilt, lord," he answered. "Except that I would not see a man of rank equal to thine touching such a reptile, I care nought." And the scholar went his way.