10
self a little, he resolved to humour the joke, and thinking he would make a good dinner and some drink of it, told the gentleman he would try what he could do, but that he must have the room to himself for three hours, during which time he must have three bottles of strong ale and his dinner, all which the gentleman told him he should have. No sooner was it made known that the Spæman was in the house, than the servants were all in confusion, wishing to know what would be said.
As soon as Roger had taken his dinner, he was shown into an elegant room, where the gentleman sent him a quart of ale by the butler. No sooner had he set down the ale, than Roger said, there comes one of them, intimating the bargain he had made with the gentleman for the three quarts, which the butler took in a wrong light, and imagined it was himself. He went away in great confusion, and told his wife. "Poor fool," said she, "the fear makes you think it is you he means, but I will attend in your place, and hear what he will say to me." Accordingly, she carried the second quart, but no sooner had she opened the door than Roger cried, there comes two of them. The woman, no less surprised than her husband, told him the Spæman knew her too. "And what will we do," said she, "we will be hanged." "I will tell you what we must do," said she, "we must send the groom the next time, and if he is known, we must offer him a good sum not to discover on us." The butler went to William, and told him the whole story, and that he must go next to see what he would say to him, telling him, at the same time, what to do, in case he was known also. When the hour was expired, William was sent with the third quart of ale, which, when Roger observed, he cried out, there is the third and last of them, at which William changed colour, and told him if he would not discover on them, they would show him where they were all concealed, and give him five pounds besides. Roger, not a little surprised at the discovery he had made, told him if he recovered the goods, he would follow them no further.
By this time the gentleman called Roger to know how he had succeeded. He told him he could find the goods, but that the thief was gone. "I will be -well satisfied," said he, "with the goods, for some of them are very valuable." Let the butler come along with me, and the whole shall be recovered. He accordingly conducted Roger to the back of the stable where the articles were concealed, such as silver cups, spoons, bowls, knives, forks, and a variety of other articles of great value.
