The monastery; The abbot.

THE MONASTERY. 83
Superiority over thee, and we pray thee to prepare for thy speedy removal
to Aberbrothwick."
" Alas! my lord and father," said the Sub-Prior," your words pierce my
very soul. Under the seal of confession will I presently tell thee why I
conceive myself rather the baffled sport of a spirit of another sort, than the
protected favourite of the heavenly powers. But first let me ask this unhappy man a question or two."
"Do as ye list," replied the Abbot-" but you shall not convince me that
it is fitting you remain in this inferior office in the convent of Saint Mary."
" I would ask of this poor man," said Father Eustace, "for what purpose
he nourished the thought of putting to death one who never did him evil'?"
"Ay! but thou didst menace me with evil," said the ruffian, " and no one
but a fool is menaced twice. Dost thou not remember what you said touching the Primate and Lord James, and the black pool of Jedwood? Didst
thou think me fool enough to wait till thou hadst betrayed me to the sack
and the fork! There were small wisdom in that, methinks - as little as in
coming hither to tell my own misdeeds - I think the devil was in me when
I took this road — I might have remembered the proverb,'Never Friar
forgot feud.'"
" And it was solely for that - for that only hasty word of mine, uttered
in a moment of impatience, and forgotten ere it was well spoken?" said
Father Eustace.
"Ay! for that, and-for the love of thy gold crucifix," said Christie of
the Clinthill.
" Gracious Heaven! and could the yellow metal - the glittering earth —
so far overcome every sense of what is thereby represented?-Father Abbot,
I pray, as a dear boon, you will deliver this guilty person to my mercy."
"Nay, brother," interposed the Sacristan, "to your doom, if you will,
not to your mercy —Remember, we are not all equally favoured by our
blessed Lady, nor is it likely that every frock in the Convent will serve as
a coat of proof when a lance is couched against it."
" For that very reason," said the Sub-Prior, "I would not that for my
worthless self the community were to fall at feud with Julian of Avenel,
this man's master."
"Our Lady forbid!" said the Sacristan, "he is a second Julian the Apostate."
"With our reverend father the Abbot's permission, then," said Father
Eustace, " I desire this man be freed from his chains, and suffered to depart
uninjured; — and here, friend," he added, giving him the golden crucifix,
"is the image for which thou wert willing to stain thy hands with murder.
View it well, and may it inspire thee with other and better thoughts than
those which referred to it as a piece of bullion! Part with it, nevertheless,
if thy necessities require, and get thee one of such coarse substance that
Mammon shall have no share in any of the reflections to which it gives
rise. It was the bequest of a dear friend to me; but dearer service can it
never do than that of winning a soul to Heaven."
The Borderer, now freed from his chains, stood gazing alternately on the
Sub-Prior, and on the golden crucifix. " By Saint Giles," said he, " I understand ye not! - An ye give me gold for couching my lance at thee, what
would you give me to level it at a heretic?"
"The Church," said the Sub-Prior, "will try the effect of her spiritual
censures to bring these stray sheep into the fold, ere she employ the edge
of the sword of Saint Peter."
"Ay, but," said the ruffian, "they say the Primate recommends a little
strangling and burning in aid of both censure and of sword. But fare ye
weel, I owe you a life, and it may be I will not forget my debt."
The bailie now came bustling in, dressed in his blue coat and bandaliers,
and attended by two or three halberdiers. "I have been a thought too