psalmody, every spare five minutes filled with reading,
copying, gardening and the recitation of offices. All these the novice
took with gusto, safe hidden from the flash of emerald eyes and the
witchery of hypergeometrical noses. But temptation is not to be kept out
by the diet of Adam and of Esau, by locked doors, spades, and inkpots.
The key had hardly turned upon the poor refugee when he found he had
locked in his enemies with him. His austerities redoubled, but as he
says he "only beat the air" until He who watches over Israel without
slumber or sleep laid His hand upon him and fed him with a hidden manna,
so fine and so plentiful that the pleasures of life seemed paltry after
the first taste of it. After this experience our Hugh used to be
conscious always of a Voice and a Hand, giving him cheer and strength,
although the strong appetites of his large nature troubled him to the
last. Here Hugh devoured books, too, until the time floated by him all
too fleetly.

His great affectionate heart poured itself out upon wild birds and
squirrels which came in from the beech and pine woods, and learned to
feed from his platter and his fingers. It is difficult to read with
patience that his prior, fearing lest he should enjoy these innocent
loves too much, and they would "hinder his devotion," banished these
pretty dears from the dreary cell. But in charity let us suppose that
the prior more than supplied their place, for Hugh was told off to tend
a weak old monk, to sing him the offices, and to nurse the invalid. This
godly old man, at once his schoolmaster and his patient, sounded him
whether he wished to be ordained priest. When he learned that, as far as
lay in Hugh he desired nothing more, he was greatly shocked, and reduced
his nurse-pupil to tears by scolding him for presumption; but he
presently raised him from his knees and prophesied that he would soon be
a priest and some day a bishop. Hugh was soon after this ordained
priest, and was distinguished for the great fervour of his behaviour in
celebrating the Mass "as if he handled a visible Lord Saviour"--a
touching devoutness which never left him, and which contrasted
strikingly with the perfunctory, careless or bored ways of other
priests. He injured his health by over-abstinence, one effect of which
was to cause him to grow fat, Nature thus revenging herself by
fortifying his frame against such ill-treatment.

In the talk time after Nones, the brothers had much