ne nearest to the large monastery, outside the walls.

"I told you, father," the captain said, "that belike my nephew would
join me here, as I was going to present him to Sir Henry Percy. The
good knight will not be back again, mayhap, for some weeks; and the lad
has a fancy to learn to read and write, and I thought you might put him
in the way of his attaining such knowledge."

"He looks as if the sword will suit his hand better than the pen," the
priest said, with a smile, as his eye glanced over the lad's active
figure. "But surely, if he is so inclined, I shall be glad to further
his wishes. There is a monk at the monastery who, although a good
scholar, is fitted rather for the army than the Church. He was one of
our teachers, but in sooth had but little patience with the blunders of
the children; but I am sure that he would gladly give his aid to a lad
like this, and would bear with him, if he really did his best. I have
nought to do at present, and will go down with him, at once, and talk
to Friar Roger.

"If the latter would rather have nought to do with it, one of my
juniors shall undertake the task; but I am sure that the friar would
make a better instructor, if he would take it in hand.

"He is a stout man-at-arms--for, as you know, when the Scots cross the
border, the abbot always sends a party of his stoutest monks to fight
in Percy's ranks; as is but right, seeing that the Scots plunder a
monastery as readily as a village. Friar Roger was the senior in
command, under the sub-prior, of the monks who fought at Otterburn, and
all say that none fought more stoutly, and the monks were the last to
fall back on that unfortunate day. They say that he incurred many
penances for his unchurchly language, during the fight; but that the
abbot remitted them, on account of the valour that he had shown."

Accordingly, the priest went off with Oswald to the monastery, while
Alwyn Forster remained, to attend to his duties as captain of the
men-at-arms. On his saying that he wished to see the friar Roger, the
priest was shown into a waiting room, where the monk soon joined them.

He was a tall, powerful man, standing much over six feet in height, and
of proportionate width of shoulders. He carried his head erect, and
looked more like a man-at-arms, in disguise, than a monk. He bent his
head to the priest, and then said in a hearty tone:

"Well, Father Ernulf, what would you with me, today? You have no news
of the Scots