there did the Earl pause to practise the arts of popular favour. Passing
erect through the midst, he beckoned forth the officer, in attendance at
the extreme end, who, after an interchange of whispers, ushered him into
the royal presence. The monks and the priests, gazing towards the door
which had closed on his stately form, said to each other:

"The King's Norman favourites at least honoured the Church."

"That is true," said an abbot; "and an it were not for two things, I
should love the Norman better than the Saxon."

"What are they, my father?" asked an aspiring young monk.

"Inprinis," quoth the abbot, proud of the one Latin word he thought he
knew, but, that, as we see, was an error; "they cannot speak so as to be
understood, and I fear me much they incline to mere carnal learning."

Here there was a sanctified groan:

"Count William himself spoke to me in Latin!" continued the abbot,
raising his eyebrows.

"Did he?--Wonderful!" exclaimed several voices. "And what did you
answer, holy father?"

"Marry," said the abbot solemnly, "I replied, Inprinis."

"Good!" said the young monk, with a look of profound admiration.

"Whereat the good Count looked puzzled--as I meant him to be:--a heinous
fault, and one intolerant to the clergy, that love of profane tongues!
And the next thing against your Norman is (added the abbot, with a sly
wink), that he is a close man, who loves not his stoup; now, I say, that
a priest never has more hold over a sinner than when he makes the sinner
open his heart to him."

"That's clear!" said a fat priest, with a lubricate and shining nose.

"And how," pursued the abbot triumphantly, "can a sinner open his heavy
heart until you have given him something to lighten it? Oh, many and
many a wretched man have I comforted spiritually over a flagon of stout
ale; and many a good legacy to the Church hath come out of a friendly
wassail between watchful shepherd and strayed sheep! But what hast thou
there?" resumed the abbot, turning to a man, clad in the lay garb of a
burgess of London, who had just entered the room, followed by a youth,
bearing what seemed a coffer, covered with a fine linen cloth.

"Holy father!" said the burgess, wiping his forehead, "it is a treasure
so great, that I trow Hugoline, the King's treasurer, will scowl at me
for a year to come, for he likes to keep his own grip on the King's
gold."

At this indiscreet observation, the abbot, the monks, and all th