shelf--chain-mail, targe, dagger, helmet, and sword. A great warrior's
complete equipment, tunic and hose of mail, shield, and helm, hung
before me as I entered. Three huge hounds, with heavy chaps hanging
loose from their jaws, lay about the hearth, but only noted my entrance
with a drowsy gaze, then dropped back upon their paws; but a strange
ugly creature, like an ill-shaped child, that was so vile to look on
that I thought him the very Devil himself, crouching on the table by the
archbishop's side, set up a chattering and a muttering, with now and
then a kind of mocking laughter like a madman's meaningless merriment.
Nor would he cease until my lord clouted him twice or thrice rudely on
his ill-favoured crown with a "Hist, folly, stay thy devil's clatter."
Now, this beast it was, one, I suppose, of those apes that King Solomon
trafficked in, that gave rise to the saying that a familiar from Hell
housed with my lord in Guernsey. But being of a bold spirit, and
expecting even worse than I yet saw from the ill-fame of my lord, and
the tales of monk and churl, I stood firm, and with something of a
courtier's air placed in his hand the letter I bore, with a simple,
"Greeting, your grace, from my lord the Abbot of the Vale;" and as I
gave the letter, I set my gaze on him for the first time square and
straight, and met eyes as keen and straight as mine own. Now, this
surprised me, for I had heard evil men could not look straight into
men's faces. He was far above the common height, and his body and face
were very fat; like a great bull of the stall he lay in his chair. His
face was full and red, and I noted he had little hair, save a mass, half
grey, half red, that clung about his ears and neck. Of his passions I
was soon to see evidence, for having gazed at me a moment, he took the
letter from my hand, tore away the seal, and unrolled the scroll. As he
did so I saw another little scroll roll out, which fell upon the ground
before my feet. Then I knelt and handed this to him likewise. Can I ere
forget his look as he took it from me, or wrung it rather from my