At this sudden outflame of wrath the two witnesses sank their
faces on to their chests, and sat as men crushed. The Abbot
turned his angry eyes away from them and bent them upon the
accused, who met his searching gaze with a firm and composed
face.

"What hast thou to say, brother John, upon these weighty things
which are urged against you?"

"Little enough, good father, little enough," said the novice,
speaking English with a broad West Saxon drawl. The brothers,
who were English to a man, pricked up their ears at the sound of
the homely and yet unfamiliar speech; but the Abbot flushed red
with anger, and struck his hand upon the oaken arm of his chair.

"What talk is this?" he cried. "Is this a tongue to be used
within the walls of an old and well-famed monastery? But grace
and learning have ever gone hand in hand, and when one is lost it
is needless to look for the other."

"I know not about that," said brother John. "I know only that
the words come kindly to my mouth, for it was the speech of my
fathers before me. Under your favor, I shall either use it now
or hold my peace."

The Abbot patted his foot and nodded his head, as one who passes
a point but does not forget it.

"For the matter of the ale," continued brother John, "I had come
in hot from the fields and had scarce got the taste of the thing