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"Master," says the blind men to the landlord, "we have a besant; take your account, and give us our ehange."
He holds out his hand to receive it; and, as no one offers it him, he asks them again, when each says, "It is not I."
The landlord then gets into a passion. "So, gentlemen vagrants, you think I am to serve here as a butt for your diversion. Be so good as to end all this mockery, and pay me immediately my tenpence, otherwise I'll give you all three a drubbing."
They then began to inquire of each other for the pieee of money—to suspect each other's honesty—to call names—to quarrel; till at length such an uproar and confusion ensued, that the landlord, after giving each of them a box on the ear, called his servant to come down with two good sticks.
The ecclesiastic all this while kept laughing in his hiding place till he was ready to fall into convulsions. But when he found the affair was becoming serious, and heard them talk of sticks, he came forward, and with an air of surprise, asked the cause of the quarrel. "Sir, here are three knaves who came yesterday to consume my provisions; and now I ask them for my due, they have the insolence to mock me. But, by all that's sacred, they shall not get off in that manner, and before they go out———."
"Softly, softly, master Nicholas," said the churchman, "these poor men have not wherewithal to pay you; and, in that case, they deserve rather your pity than your resentment. How much does their bill amount to?"
"Tenpence."
"What! is it for so paltry a sum that you raise all this disturbance? Come, make yourselves easy; I will take it upon myself. And, for my part, what am I to pay you?"
"Fivepence, Sir."
"That's enough. I shall pay you fifteen-pence; now let these unfortunate men go; and know that to harass the poor is a sin of the first magnitude."
The blind men, who were terrified at the apprehension of the bastinado, made their escape with all possible haste; while Nicholas, who had reckoned on losing his tenpence, (being delighted to find a person to pay it,) launched out into the most flattering encomiums on the churchman,
"What a good man!" cried he; "that is the kind of priests we should have, and then they would be respected. But, unfortunately, there are few such! Be assured, Sir, so handsome an action will not go unrewarded. You will prosper in the world, take my word for it; and will find the good effects of your generosity."
