s. Mind, I say, learned laics. Unlearned ones
have often been my masters in humility, and may be thine. Thy wound is
cared for; in three days 'twill be but a scar. And now God speed thee,
and the saints make thee as good and as happy as thou art thoughtful
and gracious." Gerard hoped there was no need to part yet, for he was
to dine in the refectory. But Father Anselm told him, with a shade of
regret just perceptible and no more, that he did not leave his cell this
week, being himself in penitence; and with this he took Gerard's head
delicately in both hands, and kissed him on the brow, and almost before
the cell door had closed on him, was back to his pious offices. Gerard
went away chilled to the heart by the isolation of the monastic life,
and saddened too. "Alas!" he thought, "here is a kind face I must never
look to see again on earth; a kind voice gone from mine ear and my heart
for ever. There is nothing but meeting and parting in this sorrowful
world. Well-a-day! well-a-day!" This pensive mood was interrupted by
a young monk who came for him and took him to the refectory; there he
found several monks seated at a table, and Denys standing like a poker,
being examined as to the towns he should pass through: the friars
then clubbed their knowledge, and marked out the route, noting all the
religious houses on or near that road; and this they gave Gerard. Then
supper, and after it the old monk carried Gerard to his cell, and they
had an eager chat, and the friar incidentally revealed the cause of
his pantomime in the corridor. "Ye had well-nigh fallen into Brother
Jerome's clutches. Yon was his cell."

"Is Father Jerome an ill man, then?"

"An ill man!" and the friar crossed himself; "a saint, an anchorite, the
very pillar of this house! He had sent ye barefoot to Loretto. Nay, I
forgot, y'are bound for Italy; the spiteful old saint upon earth, had
sent ye to Canterbury or Compostella. But Jerome was born old and with
a cowl; Anselm and I were boys once, and wicked beyond anything you
can imagine" (Gerard wore a somewhat incredulous look): "this keeps us
humble more or less, and makes us reasonably lenient to youth and hot
blood."

Then, at Gerard's earnest request, one more heavenly strain upon the
psalterion, and so to bed, the troubled spirit calmed, and the sore
heart soothed.

I have described in full this day, marked only by contrast, a day that
came like oil on waves after so many passions and perils--be