Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/541

whom he was able to recognise ; but while he stood there thus mournfully alone amidst all the people, every man throughout the city spake it about him much more, until it became known in the holy church, at the bishop's throne ; and they told the bishop Marinus and the town-reeve the same news. And they both bade men keep Malchus very warily, that he might not escape ; and they brought him to them with great haste, and his pennies also with him which he had brought with him thither; and the men who had seized Malchus in the market took him away thence immediately, and led him to the church ; and he still expected nothing else but that they would lead him to Decius the emperor. He then came to the church, and looked about on every side whereever he could, and the gazing people pressed upon him all about, and he earnestly looked on every side wherever he could, and the people regarded him as evilly as if he were guilty of something, and all men dragged him from place to place and wonderfully insulted him; and he was very uneasy among them, and his eyes all overflowed and let fall bitter tears. Then the bishop and the town-reeve took his pennies and scrutinised them before the people, and wondered exceedingly at them, because they had never before seen with their eyes such coin, which was struck in old days in Decius the emperor's time, and his likeness was engraven thereon and his name written there all round. Then said the town-reeve to Malchus, " Tell us now where the old treasure is which thou hast secretly found, and concealed it all until now. Lest thou shouldst deny it, here is the man full close at hand, who has some of the money in his hands which thou broughtest hither, and thou gavest it to him out of thy hands." Then answered Malchus and said to them all, " I say all truth here before all you people, and if it is your will ye may believe me, that I never yet found a gold-hoard such as ye impute to me. But I know certainly of a truth, that from the possessions of my parents this money came into my hands, and in the traffic of this