s?' and a lot more stuff."

"Well, but, Denys, whether you hearken his rede, or slight it, wherefore
blame a man for raising his voice to save your soul?"

"How can his voice save my soul, when he keeps turning of his P's into
B's."

Gerard was staggered: ere he could recover at this thunderbolt of
Gallicism, Denys went triumphant off at a tangent, and stigmatized all
monks as hypocrites. "Do but look at them, how they creep about and
cannot eye you like honest men."

"Nay," said Gerard eagerly, "that modest downcast gaze is part of their
discipline, 'tis 'custodia oculorum'."

"Cussed toads eating hoc hac horum? No such thing; just so looks a
cut-purse. Can't meet a true man's eye. Doff cowl, monk; and behold,
a thief; don cowl thief, and lo, a monk. Tell me not they will ever be
able to look God Almighty in the face, when they can't even look a true
man in the face down here. Ah, here it is, black as ink! into the well
we go, comrade. Misericorde, there goes the tinkle already. 'Tis the
best of tinkles though; 'tis for dinner: stay, listen! I thought so: the
wolf in my stomach cried 'Amen!'" This last statement he confirmed with
two oaths, and marched like a victorious gamecock into the convent,
thinking by Gerard's silence he had convinced him, and not dreaming how
profoundly he had disgusted him.

CHAPTER XXXII

In the refectory allusion was made, at the table where Gerard sat,
to the sudden death of the monk who had undertaken to write out fresh
copies of the charter of the monastery, and the rule, etc.

Gerard caught this, and timidly offered his services. There was a
hesitation which he mistook. "Nay, not for hire, my lords, but for love,
and as a trifling return for many a good night's lodging the brethren of
your order have bestowed on me a poor wayfarer."

A monk smiled approvingly; but hinted that the late brother was an
excellent penman, and his work could not be continued but by a master.
Gerard on this drew from his wallet with some trepidation a vellum deed,
the back of which he had cleaned and written upon by way of specimen.
The monk gave quite a start at sight of it, and very hastily went up
the hall to the high table, and bending his knee so as just to touch in
passing the fifth step and the tenth, or last, presented it to the prior
with comments. Instantly a dozen knowing eyes were fixed on it, and a
buzz of voices was heard; and soon Gerard saw the prior point more than
once, and the