[_Half rising and speaking with a sudden passion._]
His churls are starving, Starving! Their little children cry for bread! One of those jewels on his baldric there Would feed them all in plenty all their lives! Five loaves--and yet--and yet--of what remained, The fragments, mark you, twelve great basketsful!
I am in a madman's power! The man is mad!
Take all he has, all you can get. To-night, When all is dark (we must have darkness, mind, For deeds like this) blind creatures will creep out With groping hands and gaping mouths, lean arms, And shrivelled bodies, branded, fettered, lame, Distorted, horrible; and they will weep Great tears like gouts of blood upon our feet, And we shall succour them and make them think (That's if you have not mangled their poor souls As well, or burned their children with their homes), We'll try to make them think that some few roods Of earth are not so bitter as hell might be. Are you not glad to think of this? Nay--go-- Or else your face will haunt me when I die! Take him quickly away. The next! The next! O God!
[_Flings up his arms and falls fainting._]
O Robin! Robin! Help him quickly. The wound! The wound!
[_They gather round ROBIN. The OUTLAWS come back with the captive FORESTER, his pack upon his back._]
Now, get you gone and quickly! What, what hath happened?
[_FRIAR TUCK and the OUTLAWS join the throng round ROBIN. The FORESTER shakes his fist at them and goes across the glade muttering. The MESSENGER from Kirklee Priory comes out of the forest at the same moment and speaks to him, not knowing of his dismissal._]
All's well! Robin can come To Kirklee. Our old friend the Prioress Is there, and faithful! They've all balms and simples To heal a wound.
Yes, at sunset, We'll take him to the borders of the wood All will be safe. Where he can steal in easily, alone.
Oh, but if we can leave him there, all's safe; We'll dodge the King's men.
Almost at once; but he must not steal in Till sundown, when the nuns are all in chapel. How now? What's this? What's this?
[_He goes across to the throng round ROBIN._]
SCENE II. _A room in Kirklee Priory. A window on the right overlooks a cloister leading up to the chapel door. The forest is seen in the distance, the sun beginning to set behind it. The PRIORESS and a NOVICE are sitting in a window-seat engaged in broidery work._