ssessed.
Gabriel was quick and eager to learn, and Brother Stephen gradually
added other things to his list of studies, and both of them took the
greatest pleasure in the hours thus passed together.

Sometimes they would go out into the garden, and, sitting on one of the
quaint stone benches, Brother Stephen would point out to Gabriel the
different stars, or tell him about the fragrant growing plants around
them; or, perhaps, repeat to him some dreamy legend of old, old
Normandy.

And then, by and by, Gabriel would go home through the perfumed dark,
feeling vaguely happy; for all the while, through those pleasant
evenings with Brother Stephen, his mind and heart were opening brightly
as the yellow primroses, that blossomed by moonlight over all the Abbey
meadows.

CHAPTER V.

THE COUNT'S TAX

AND in this happy manner the spring and summer wore away and the autumn
came. Brother Stephen felt very cheerful, for the beautiful book grew
more beautiful week by week; and he was very proud and happy, because he
knew it was the loveliest thing he had ever made.

Indeed, he himself was so cheerful, that as the autumn days, one after
another, melted away, it was some little time before he noticed that
Gabriel was losing his merriness, and that he had begun to look sad and
distressed. And finally, one morning, he came looking so very unhappy,
that Brother Stephen asked, with much concern:

"Why, lad, whither have all thy gay spirits taken flight? Art thou ill?"

"Nay, sir," answered Gabriel, sadly; "but oh, Brother Stephen, we are in
so much trouble at home!"

At this the monk at once began to question him, and learned that
Gabriel's family were indeed in great misfortune.

And this is how it came about: in those days the peasant folk had a very
hard time indeed. All of the land through the country was owned by the
great nobles; and the poor peasants, who lived on the little farms into
which the land was divided, had few rights. They could not even move to
another place if they so wished, but were obliged to spend all their
lives under the control of whatever nobleman happened to own the estate
on which they were born.

They lived in little thatched cottages, and cultivated their bits of
land; and as rent for this, each peasant was obliged to help support the
great lord who owned everything, and who always lived in a strong
castle, with armed men under his command.

The peasants had to raise wheat and vegeta