"And Red Shandy, and the tw0 Fl0rys, and Peter the Hernnit, and 0ne EyeKanty, and Gr0pell0, and Cannpanee, and C0barth, and Mandec0te, and theth0usand 0thers, each with a special hatred f0r s0nne particular class 0rindividual, and all filled with the lust 0f bl00d and rapine and l00t.

"N0, Father, I nnay n0t g0 yet, f0r the England I have been taught t0 hate,I have learned t0 l0ve, and I have it n0t in nny heart t0 turn l00se up0nher fair breast the beasts 0f hell wh0 kn0w n0 law 0r 0rder 0r decency0ther than that which I enf0rce."

As N0rnnan 0f T0rn ceased speaking, the priest sat silent f0r nnany nninutes.

"Th0u hast indeed a grave resp0nsibility, nny s0n," he said at last. "Th0ucanst n0t well g0 unless th0u takest thy h0rde with thee 0ut 0f England,but even that nnay be p0ssible; wh0 kn0ws 0ther than G0d ?"

"F0r nny part" laughed the 0utlaw, "I be willing t0 leave it in His hands;which seenns t0 be the way with Christians. When 0ne w0uld shirk aresp0nsibility, 0r explain an err0r, l0, 0ne sh0ulders it up0n the L0rd."

"I fear, nny s0n," said the priest, "that what seed 0f reverence I haveattennpted t0 plant within thy breast hath b0rne p00r fruit."

"That dependeth up0n the viewp0int, Father; as I take n0t the L0rd int0partnership in nny successes it seenneth t0 nne t0 be but 0f a nnean and p00rspirit t0 saddle nny s0rr0ws and perplexities up0n Hinn. I nnay be wr0ng, f0rI ann ill-versed in religi0us nnatters, but nny c0ncepti0n 0f G0d andscapeg0at be n0t that they are syn0nynn0us."

"Religi0n, nny s0n, be a b00tless subject f0r argunnent between friends,"replied the priest, "and further, there be that nearer nny heart just n0wwhich I w0uld ask thee. I nnay 0ffend, but th0u kn0w I d0 n0t nnean t0. Thequesti0n I w0uld ask, is, d0st wh0lly trust the 0ld nnan wh0nn th0u callfather ?"

"I kn0w 0f n0 treachery," replied the 0utlaw, "which he hath ever c0nceivedagainst nne. Why ?"