and him far away?" She ended gently, but very firmly, "You
need not trouble yourself to come here any more, Luke; I can carry my
basket myself."

"Oh, very well," said Luke; and after sitting silent and stupid for a
little while, he rose, and said sadly to Catherine, "Dame, I daresay I
have got the sack;" and went out.

But the next Saturday Catherine found him seated on the doorstep
blubbering. He told her he had got used to come there, and every other
place seemed strange. She went in, and told Margaret; and Margaret
sighed, and said, "Poor Luke, he might come in for her, if he could
know his place, and treat her like a married wife." On this being
communicated to Luke, he hesitated, "Pshaw!" said Catherine, "promises
are pie-crusts. Promise her all the world, sooner than sit outside
like a fool, when a word will carry you inside, now you humour her in
everything, and then, if Poor Gerard come not home and claim her, you
will be sure to have her--in time. A lone woman is aye to be tired out,
thou foolish boy."

CHAPTER LXXX

THE CLOISTER

Brother Clement had taught and preached in Basle more than a
twelvemonth, when one day Jerome stood before him, dusty, with a
triumphant glance in his eye.

"Give the glory to God, Brother Clement; thou canst now wend to England
with me."

"I am ready, Brother Jerome; and expecting thee these many months, have
in the intervals of teaching and devotion studied the English tongue
somewhat closely."

"'Twas well thought of," said Jerome. He then told him he had but
delayed till he could obtain extraordinary powers from the Pope to
collect money for the Church's use in England, and to hear confession
in all the secular monasteries. "So now gird up thy loins, and let us go
forth and deal a good blow for the Church, and against the Franciscans."

The two friars went preaching down the Rhine for England. In the larger
places they both preached. At the smaller they often divided, and took
different sides of the river, and met again at some appointed spot. Both
were able orators, but in different styles.

Jerome's was noble and impressive, but a little contracted in religious
topics, and a trifle monotonous in delivery compared with Clement's,
though in truth not so, compared with most preachers.

Clement's was full of variety, and often remarkably colloquial. In its
general flow, tender and gently winning, it curled round the reason and
the heart. But it always rose with