to see their Duke's greatest treasure.

It was a robe of serge, and a pair of sandals, such as were worn in
the Abbey of Jumieges.

"Ha! is this all? What didst say, child?" cried Bernard the Dane,
hastily.

"He told me it was his greatest treasure!" repeated Richard.

"And it was!" said Abbot Martin.

Then the good Abbot told them the history, part of which was already
known to some of them. About five or six years before, Duke William
had been hunting in the forest of Jumieges, when he had suddenly come
on the ruins of the Abbey, which had been wasted thirty or forty
years previously by the Sea-King, Hasting. Two old monks, of the
original brotherhood, still survived, and came forth to greet the
Duke, and offer him their hospitality.

"Ay!" said Bernard, "well do I remember their bread; we asked if it
was made of fir-bark, like that of our brethren of Norway."

William, then an eager, thoughtless young man, turned with disgust
from this wretched fare, and throwing the old men some gold, galloped
on to enjoy his hunting. In the course of the sport, he was left
alone, and encountered a wild boar, which threw him down, trampled on
him, and left him stretched senseless on the ground, severely
injured. His companions coming up, carried him, as the nearest place
of shelter, to the ruins of Jumieges, where the two old monks gladly