"
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 monk came back, looking as proud as Punch, with a savoury
crustade ryal, or game pie gravied and spiced, for Gerard, and a silver
grace cup full of rich pimentum. This latter Gerard took, and bowing
low, first to the distant prior, then to his own company, quaffed, and
circulated the cup.
Instantly, to his surprise, the whole table hailed him as a brother:
"Art convent bred, deny it not?" He acknowledged it, and gave Heaven
thanks for it, for otherwise he had been as rude and ignorant as his
brothers, Sybrandt and Cornelis.
"But 'tis passing strange how you could know," said he.
"You drank with the cup in both hands," said two monks, speaking
together.
The voices had for some time been loudish round a table at the bottom
of the hall; but presently came a burst of mirth so obstreperous and
prolonged, that the prior sent the very sub-prior all down the hall to
check it, and inflict penance on every monk at the table.
Pages:
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293