H. C. Bailey

“ But Bran rattled on in a swift patter of nonsense. "What is this folly, fool? Do you tell fortunes? Tell mine, you rogue."
Bran came up to him in zigzags, like a dog conscious of sin, and grinning and squirming and bowing. Then on a sudden he stopped and shot out his long arm with his long finger pointing straight and shrieked and trembled all over: "Jesu, mercy!" he gasped and cried shrill, "What stands behind you, lord? Look, look! Oh, the black monk behind you and his eyes in his hood," and he put up his hands, making the sign of the evil eye and staggered back and back into the crowd. ”

“ Seeking out the hovel which by a pole thrust out above the door to bear a bunch of branches announced itself a tavern, they tied up pony and mule under a pent-house and went in to dine upon eels stewed with saffron and mustard and bread and wine, which cost them the great price of four silver pennies, so that Bran questioned the reckoning, and was told there was a cruel dearth of all food of man and beast. "Yea, yea," Bran nodded. "When the poor grudge the poor, hell is upon earth. Take up the moneys, good fellow." ”

“ Then the man told him that Count Eustace, the King's son, claiming money and men of the abbot of Edmundsbury had ravaged all the lands of the abbey near and far and the land of every man who was reckoned loyal to the monks, so that the country was a desert without corn or beast, and there would be no fair at Edmundsbury but mourning and ruined folk asking alms of the empty abbey.
"Yea, yea," Bran nodded. "When wise men go crying, a fool must turn wise. When children go crying our life is but lies." ”