al testimony to the prescience of the good father, for to no
ears but his own had the tidings been communicated.

"Thou knowest of his return?"

"Yes, ere the knowledge was thine," said the hermit carelessly.

"There is little use in secrecy where the very walls possess a tongue;
and seeing that the first part of mine errand is known, it may be thou
art as well instructed in the latter, which is the true purport of my
visit."

"I am," replied the other quickly, now for the first time fixing his
eyes on the intruder, "and of the issue too, I trow."

"Ah!" said the dean, with a long-drawn exclamation of surprise, and a
sudden gasp as though he would have held the secret more tightly to his
bosom; "and who"--

"Nay, thou art but obeying the impulse of thy nature," said the hermit,
musing. "The brutes ye hunt obey their common instinct--and thou--Yet
the ravening wolf and the cunning fox ye follow, and worry to their
death."

"Death!" cried the dean; "what meanest thou?"

"Did I not counsel thee to beware? But thou wilt tumble into thine own
pitfall. The trap is laid for thine own feet!"

The hermit sat on the low couch, and he gazed wildly round the cell as
though pursuing some object visible only to himself.

"Give me the parchments committed to thy trust by De Lacy, and I will
build a house to thy good saint, enriching it with rare endowments."

"Thou wouldest drive a thrifty bargain with Heaven. Verily thou
shouldst have the best on 't, though," replied the hermit, with a
contemptuous smile.

"Truly I could but return to Heaven the bounties that it gave; yet would
I, peradventure, build, for His honour and glory, to whom all things
belong, a habitation, the like whereof hath not been seen for
stateliness and grandeur," said the dean, with affected reverence and
humility of spirit.

"Others may do that as well as thou."

"But will he, whose coming is now at hand, make so costly a sacrifice
for the welfare of the Church? I will found an abbey, holy father,
consecrate to thy patron, wherein thou shalt be the ruler. I purpose to
enrich it with half my possessions, even of those whereby, through thy
ministry, I do become entitled from the death of Robert de Lacy."

"Which meaneth, if I but aid thee to rob another of some large and
goodly inheritance, thou wilt give to Heaven, forsooth, a portion of
what belongs not to thee."

"Once thou didst promise me thine aid."

"To robbery and rapine?"

"I have n