"
"Right well, Father; a good fellow, and a stout fighter."
"He is about to enter Sir Henry's household," the priest went on; "but,
seeing that the knight is still away, and may be absent for some weeks
yet, the young man is anxious to learn to read and write--
"Not from any idea of entering the Church," he broke off, with a smile,
at the expression of surprise on the monk's face; "but that it may be
useful to him in procuring advancement.
"I have, therefore, brought him to you; thinking that you would make a
far better teacher, for a lad like him, than your brothers in the
school. I thought perhaps that, if I spoke to the abbot, he might
release you from your attendance at some of the services, for such a
purpose."
"That is a consideration," the monk laughed.
"Well, young sir, I tell you fairly that among my gifts is not that of
patience with fools. If you are disposed to work right heartily, as I
suppose you must be, or you would not make such a request, I on my part
will do my best to teach you; but you must not mind if, sometimes, you
get a rough buffet to assist your memory."
"I should doubt whether a buffet, from you, would not be more likely to
confuse my memory than to assist it," Oswald said, with a smile; "but
at any rate, I am ready to take my chance, and can promise to do my
best to avoid taxing your patience, to that point.
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