CHAPTER XII. HOW ALLEYNE LEARNED MORE THAN HE COULD TEACH.

oldones.Hecouldnotfailtoseethatthemenwithwhomhewasthrownincontact,rough-tongued,fierceandquarrelsomeastheywere,wereyetofdeepernatureandofmoreserviceintheworldthantheox-eyedbrethrenwhoroseandateandsleptfromyear'sendtoyear'sendintheirownnarrow,stagnantcircleofexistence.AbbotBerghershwasagoodman,buthowwashebetterthanthiskindlyknight,wholivedassimplealife,heldasloftyandinflexibleanidealofduty,anddidwithallhisfearlessheartwhatevercametohishandtodo?Inturningfromtheserviceoftheonetothatoftheother,Alleynecouldnotfeelthathewasloweringhisaimsinlife.Truethathisgentleandthoughtfulnaturerecoiledfromthegrimworkofwar,yetinthosedaysofmartialordersandmilitantbrotherhoodstherewasnogulffixedbetwixtthepriestandthesoldier.ThemanofGodandthemanoftheswordmightwithoutscandalbeunitedinthesameindividual.Whythenshouldhe,amereclerk,havescrupleswhensofairachancelayinhiswayofcarryingoutthespiritaswellastheletterofhisfather'sprovision.Muchstruggleitcosthim,anxiousspirit-questioningsandmidnightprayings,withmanyadoubtandamisgivingbuttheissuewasthaterehehadbeenthreedaysinCastleTwynhamhehadtakenserviceunderSirNigel,andhadacceptedhorseandharness,thesametobepaidforoutofhisshareoftheprofitsoftheexpedition.Henceforthforsevenhoursadayhestroveinthetilt-yardtoqualifyhimselftobeaworthysquiretosoworthyaknight.Young,suppleandactive,withallthepentenergiesfromyearsofpureandhealthyliving,itwasnotlongbeforehecouldmanagehishorseandhisweaponwellenoughtoearnanapprovingnodfromcriticalmen-at-arms,ortoholdhisownagainstTerlakeandFord,hisfellow-servitors. Butweretherenootherconsiderationswhichswayedhimfromthecloisterstowardstheworld?Socomplexisthehumanspiritthatitcanitselfscarcediscernthedeepspringswhichimpelittoaction.YettoAlleynehadbeenopenednowasideoflifeofwhichhehadbeenasinnocentasachild,butonewhichwasofsuchdeepimportthatitcouldnotfailtoinfluencehiminchoosinghispath.Awoman,inmonkishprecepts,hadbeentheembodimentandconcentrationofwhatwasdangerousandevil—afocuswhencespreadallthatwastobedreadedandavoided.SodefilingwastheirpresencethatatrueCistercianmightnotraisehiseyestotheirfaceortouchtheirfinger-tipsunderbanofchurchandfearofdeadlysin.Yethere,dayafterdayforanhourafternones,andforanhourbeforevespers,hefoundhimselfinclosecommunionwiththreemaidens,allyoung,allfair,andallthereforedoublydangerousfromthemonkishstandpoint.Yethefoundthatintheirpresencehewasconsciousofaquicksympathy,apleasantease,areadyresponsetoallthatwasmostgentleandbestinhimself,whichfilledhissoulwithavagueandnew-foundjoy. AndyettheLadyMaudeLoringwasnoeasypupiltohandle.Anolderandmoreworld-wisemanmighthavebeenpuzzledbyhervaryingmoods,hersuddenprejudices,herquickresentmentatallconstraintandauthority.Didasubjectinteresther,wastherespaceinitforeitherromanceorimagination,shewouldflythroughitwithhersubtle,activemind,leavinghertwofellow-studentsandevenherteachertoilingbehindher.Ontheotherhand,weretheredullpatienceneededwithsteadytoilandstrainofmemory,nosinglefactcouldbyanydrivingbefixedinhermind.Alleynemighttalktoherofthestoriesofoldgodsandheroes,ofgallantdeedsandloftyaims,orhemightholdforthuponmoonandstars,andlethisfancywanderoverthehiddensecretsoftheuniverse,andhewouldhavearaptlistenerwithflushedcheeksandeloquenteyes,whocouldrepeatafterhimtheverywordswhichhadfallenfromhislips.Butwhenitcametoalmagestandastrolabe,thecountingoffiguresandreckoningofepicycles,awaywouldgoherthoughtstohorseandhou