And as he stirred he talked: "God bless you, say I, brave gentlemen and good pilgrims.

Surely it was a wind noble and fortunate that blew you hither to taste my broth.
There be fine pigeons here, fat and young.

There be leverets juicy and tender as a maid untried.

There--what think you of that ?" (he held each ingredient up on a prong as he spoke).

"And here be larks, partridge stuffed with sage, ripe chestnuts from La Valery, and whisper it not to any of the marshal's men, a fawn from the park of a month old, dressed like a kid so that none may know." "I suppose that so much providing is for your four sons ?" said Sholto.
The cripple laughed again his feeble, fleering laugh.
"I have no sons, honest sir," he said; "it was but a weakling's policy to tell you so, lest there should have been evil in your hearts.