having crossed the border, and I fear that there is no
chance, at present, of my donning a cuirass over my gown?"

"None at present, brother, though it may well be so, before long. I
hope that we shall soon have the earl and his son back again, for the
Scots are sure to take advantage of their absence, now that the truce
is expired.

"No, I want you on other business. This young gentleman is the nephew
of Alwyn Forster, whom you know."

"Right well, Father; a good fellow, and a stout fighter."

"He is about to enter Sir Henry's household," the priest went on; "but,
seeing that the knight is still away, and may be absent for some weeks
yet, the young man is anxious to learn to read and write--

"Not from any idea of entering the Church," he broke off, with a smile,
at the expression of surprise on the monk's face; "but that it may be
useful to him in procuring advancement.

"I have, therefore, brought him to you; thinking that you would make a
far better teacher, for a lad like him, than your brothers in the
school. I thought perhaps that, if I spoke to the abbot, he might
release you from your attendance at some of the services, for such a
purpose."

"That is a consideration," the monk laughed.

"Well, young sir, I tell you fairly that among my gifts is not that of
patience with fools. If you are disposed to work right heartily, as I
suppose you must be, or you would not make such a request, I on my part
will do my best to teach you; but you must not mind if, sometimes, you
get a rough buffet to assist your memory."

"I should doubt whether a buffet, from you, would not be more likely to
confuse my memory than to assist it," Oswald said, with a smile; "but
at any rate, I am ready to take my chance, and can promise to do my
best to avoid taxing your patience, to that point."

"That will do, Father," the monk said. "He is a lad of spirit, and it
is a pleasure to train one of that kind. As to the puny boys they send
to be made monks because, forsooth, they are likely to grow up too weak
for any other calling, I have no patience with them; and I get into
sore disgrace, with the abbot, for my shortness of temper."

"I am afraid, from what I hear," the priest said, shaking his head, but
unable to repress a smile, "that you are often in disgrace, Brother
Roger."

"I fear that it is so, and were it not that I am useful, in teaching
the lay brothers and the younger monks the use of the carnal weapons, I
know that