of death, and then returned to the hall, where he found the still weeping friend of the deceased.
But it would be injustice to Mrs. Glendinning's hospitality, if we suppose her to have been weeping during this long interval, or rather if we suppose her so entirely absorbed by the tribute of sorrow which she paid frankly and plentifully to her deceased friend, as to be incapable of attending to the rights of hospitality due to the holy visitor, who was confessor at once, and sub-prior, mighty in all religious and secular considerations, so far as the vassals of the monastery were interested.
Her barley-bread had been toasted, her choicest cask of home-brewed ale had been broached, her best butter had been placed on the hall-table, along with her most savoury ham, and her choicest cheese, ere she abandoned herself to the extremity of sorrow; and it was not till she had arranged her little repast neatly on the board, that she sat down in the chimney-corner, threw her checked apron over her head, and gave way to the current of tears and sobs. In this there was no grimace or affectation. The good dame held the honours of her house to be as essential a duty, especially when a monk was her visitant, as any other pressing call upon her conscience; nor until these were suitably attended to did she find herself at liberty to indulge her sorrow for her departed friend.
When she was conscious of the sub-prior's presence, she rose with the same attention to his reception; but he declined all the offers of hospitality with which she endeavoured to tempt him. Not her butter, as yellow as gold, and the best, she assured him, that was made in the patrimony of Saint Mary; not the barley-scones, which 'the departed saint, God sain her! used to say were so good'; not the ale, nor any other cates which poor Elspeth's stores afforded, could prevail on the sub-prior to break his fast.
'This day,' he said, 'I must not taste food until the sun go down, happy if, in so doing, I can expiate my own negligence; happier still, if my sufferings of this trifling nature, undertaken in pure faith and singleness of heart, may benefit the soul of the deceased. Yet, dame,' he added. 'I may not so far forget the living in my cares for the dead, as to leave behind me that book, which is to the ignorant
