Page:Walter Scott - The Monastery (Henry Frowde, 1912).djvu/132

RV 64 (Rh) gave the abbot the outlines of the sacristan's adventures in the homeward journey, and added, that for some time he was inclined to think his brain was infirm, seeing he had sung, laughed, and wept all in the same breath.

'A wonderful thing it is to us,' said the abbot, 'that Satan has been permitted to put forth his hand thus far on one of our sacred brethren!'

'True,' said Father Eustace; 'but for every text there is a paraphrase; and I have my suspicions, that if the drenching of Father Philip cometh of the Evil One, yet it may not have been altogether without his own personal fault.'

'How!' said the father abbot; 'I will not believe that thou makest doubt that Satan, in former days, hath been permitted to afflict saints and holy men, even as he afflicted the pious Job?'

'God forbid I should make question of it,' said the monk, crossing himself; 'yet, where there is an exposition of the sacristan's tale which is less than miraculous, I hold it safe to consider it at least, if not to abide by it. Now, this Hob the Miller hath a buxom daughter. Suppose—I say only suppose—that our sacristan met her at the ford on her return from her uncle's on the other side, for there she hath this evening been—suppose that, in courtesy, and to save her stripping hose and shoon, the sacristan brought her across behind him—suppose he carried his familiarities further than the maiden was willing to admit; and we may easily suppose, further, that this wetting was the result of it.'

'And this legend invented to deceive us!' said the superior, reddening with wrath; 'but most strictly shall it be sifted and inquired into; it is not upon us that Father Philip must hope to pass the result of his own evil practices for doings of Satan. To-morrow cite the wench to appear before us; we will examine, and we will punish.'

'Under your reverence's favour,' said Eustace, 'that were but poor policy. As things now stand with us, the heretics catch hold of each flying report which tends to the scandal of our clergy. We must abate the evil, not only by strengthening discipline, but also by suppressing and stifling the voice of scandal. If my conjectures are true, the miller's daughter will be silent for her own sake; and your reverence's