About noon
Unwilling to expose his debility , he yet could not succeed in concealing it . At last , to avoid worse imputations , he confessed the cause . His companions regarded him with compassion , and exempted him from the severer toil . About noon the knight visited his workmen . Noticing that Israel made little progress , he said to him , that though he had long arms and broad shoulders , yet he was feigning himself to be a very weak man , or otherwise must in reality be so . Hereupon one of the laborers standing by informed the gentleman how it was with Israel , when immediately the knight put a shilling into his hands and bade him go to a little roadside inn , which was nearer than the house , and buy him bread and a pot of beer . Thus refreshed he returned to the band , and toiled with them till four o'clock , when the day 's work was over .