"Bethink you of the pike in the carp pond!"

The Abbot hardened his heart at the thought. "It was indeed a
devil's deed--when we had but newly stocked it with char and with
carp. Well, well, the law is the law, and if you can use it to
hurt, it is still lawful to do so. Have these claims been
advanced?"

"Deacon the bailiff with his two varlets went down to the Hall
yesternight on the matter of the escuage, and came screaming back
with this young hothead raging at their heels. He is small and
slight, yet he has the strength of many men in the hour of his
wrath. The bailiff swears that he will go no more, save with half
a score of archers to uphold him."

The Abbot was red with anger at this new offense. "I will teach
him that the servants of Holy Church, even though we of the rule
of Saint Bernard be the lowliest and humblest of her children, can
still defend their own against the froward and the violent! Go,
cite this man before the Abbey court. Let him appear in the
chapter-house after tierce to-morrow."

But the wary sacrist shook his head: "Nay, holy father, the times
are not yet ripe. Give me three days, I pray you, that my case
against him may be complete. Bear in mind that the father and the
grandfather of this unruly squire were both famous men of their
day and the foremost knights in the King's own service, living in
high honor and dying in their knightly duty. The Lady Ermyntrude
Loring was first lady to the King's mother. Roger FitzAlan of
Farnham and Sir Hugh Walcott of Guildford Castle were each old