ood of Bromholm, [a famous relic of the True Cross.] and a fourth for
the love of saint Anthony. And at that they laughed at him, coming round
him and looking on him curiously, and crying that they would have all the
saints out of him before _Avemaria_, and asking to know his business.
When he told them in his simplicity that he was to see the King, they
laughed the more, and said that the King was gone to be a monk at saint
Edmond's, and that he had best look for him there.

Then he asked yet another, a great fellow with a hairy face and chest,
to take him over for the love of saint Denis and saint Giles, and the
fellow swore a great oath, elbowed his way out of the press that were
all staring and laughing, and bade him follow.

So he got into the boat and sat there while the man carried down the
oars, and all the rest crowded to look and question and mock. He told me
that he supposed at the time that all the folks looked at him for that
they were not used to see solitaries, but I do not think it was that. I
tell you that one who looked a little on Master Richard would look long,
and that one who looked long must either laugh or weep, so surprising
was his beauty and his simplicity.

* * * * *

When they were half-way over the fellow told him which was the abbey
church, and Master Richard said that he knew it, for that he had seen it
four years before when he came under our Lord's hand from Cambridge, and
that he would ask shelter from the monks.

"And there is an ankret [an ankret was a solitary, confined to one cell
with episcopal ceremonies.], is there not?" asked Master Richard.

The man told him Yes, looking upon him curiously, and he told him, too,
where was his cell. Then he put him on shore without a word, save asking
for his prayers.

I cannot tell you how Master Richard came to the ankret's cell, for I
was only at Westminster once when Master Richard went to his reward,
but he found his way there, marvelling at the filth of the ways, and
looked in through the little window, drawing himself up to it by the
strength of his arms.

It was all dark within, he told me, and a stench as of a kennel came up
from the darkness.

He called out to the holy man, holding his nostrils with one hand, and
with the other gripping the bars and sitting sideways on the sill of the
window. He got no answer at first, and cried again.

Then there came an answer.

There rose out of the darkn