"
Now, here the old woman scowled and mumbled and cracked her finger-bones
angrily. But the beauteous young maid viewed Jocelyn with bright, approving
eyes:
"But, Fool," cried she, "O wondrous Fool, wilt adventure thyself in cause
so desperate?"
"Blithely, fair lady!"
"But, alas! the guards be many and thou but one--"
"Nay!" cried a voice:
"For thou may'st see
That two are we!"
And forth of the dark opening in the wall strode Lobkyn Lollo the Dwarf,
his great, spiked club on brawny shoulder. Jocelyn viewed the monstrous
little man in awed wonder; but beholding his mighty girth and determined
aspect, wonder changed to kindliness; quoth he:
"Fair greeting, comrade! If thou'rt for a little bickering and disputation
with that goodly club o' thine, come thy ways for methinks I do smell the
dawn."
"Aha, thou naughty little one!" cried the Witch, shaking bony fist. "Art
for fighting for rogue's life along of a Fool, then?"
Quoth LOBKYN:
Aye, grannam, though ye slap me, still,
Fight and aid this Fool I will--
"And talking o' Will," quoth Will, "what o' me, for though I'm a tanner I'm
a man, aye, verily, as I'm a tanner.
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