The Abbey owes you an
offering for this day's work, however rude your words may be," said he.
"If you think so much of the horse, you may desire to own it. If I am to
pay for it, then with the holy Abbot's permission it is in my gift and I
bestow it freely upon you."

The Abbot plucked at his subordinate's sleeve. "Bethink you, brother
sacrist," he whispered, "shall we not have this man's blood upon our
heads?"

"His pride is as stubborn as the horse's, holy father," the sacrist
answered, his gaunt fact breaking into a malicious smile. "Man or beast,
one will break the other and the world will be the better for it. If you
forbid me--"

"Nay, brother, you have bought the horse, and you may have the bestowal
of it."

"Then I give it--hide and hoofs, tail and temper--to Nigel Loring, and
may it be as sweet and as gentle to him as he hath been to the Abbot of
Waverley!"

The sacrist spoke aloud amid the tittering of the monks, for the man
concerned was out of earshot. At the first words which had shown him the
turn which affairs had taken he had run swiftly to the spot where he had
left his pony. From its mouth he removed the bit and the stout bridle
which held it. Then leaving the creature to nibble the grass by the
wayside he sped back whence he came.

"I take your gift, monk," said he, "though I know well why it is that
you give it. Yet I thank you, for there are two things upon earth for
which I have ever yearned, and which my thin purse could never buy.
The one is a noble horse, such a horse as my father's son should have
betwixt his thighs, and here is the one of all others which I would have
chosen, since some small deed is to be done in the winning of him, and
some honorable advancement to be gained. How is the horse called?"

"Its name," said the franklin, "is Pommers. I warn you, young sir, that
none may ride him, for many have tried, and the luckiest is he who has
only a staved rib to show for it."

"I thank you for your rede," said Nigel, "and now I see that this
is indeed a horse which I would journey far to meet. I am your man,
Pommers, and you are my horse, and this night you shall own it or I will
never need horse again. My spirit against thine, and God hold thy spirit
high, Pommers, so that the greater be the adventure, and the more hope
of honor gained!"

While he spoke the young Squire had climbed on to the top of the
wall and stood there balanced, the very image of grace and spirit and
galla