retire--asked himself such burning questions in vain as he paced the
brown length of a beechen glade, within sight but out of hope of his
promise.

I must have wandered further than I reckoned; for so it was that I
presently became aware of a companion in my solitudes. This was a
Capuchin of great girth and capacity, who sat under a chestnut tree,
secluded from observation, and was at that time engaged in dyeing his
beard.




CHAPTER X

I FALL IN AGAIN WITH FRA PALAMONE


The Capuchin's employment was precisely what I have stated, though all
probability is against it. I was curious enough to watch him and could
make no mistake. He had a copious beard descending to his stomach, the
half snowy white, the half a lustrous black. Upon a depending twig he
had fixed a tin-edged mirror, in his hand was a small tooth-comb. With
this he raked his beard over and over again, occasionally dipping it in
a tin cup at his side. He looked in the glass, picked up a strand of
beard, examined it minutely underneath, dipped his comb and raked,
dipped and raked again. My gradual advance, due, as I have said, to
curiosity, not presumption, did not disconcert him at all; he began to
speak without so much as looking at me, whereby I was able to hope that
I was not recognised. On my side it had not taken long to ascertain that