how to bespeak the Lady Lucia, an thou canst get to her presence. I will take counsel of my pillow, and call upon the saints to inspire me with a moving message that I shall send."

Elfric humbly saluted the superior and all his elders by name, wished them a holy night, and withdrew from the refectory and hall to seek the rest which he really needed: but before entering his cell he went to the house-top to look out at the broad moon, and the wood, and the river, and the open country, intersected by deep cuts and ditches, which lay in front of the succursal cell. The night had become frosty, and the moon and the stars were shining their brightest in a transparent atmosphere. As the novice looked up the course of the Welland he thought he distinguished something afar off floating on the stream. He looked again, and felt certain that a large boat was descending the river towards the house. He remained silent and almost breathless until the vessel came so near that he was enabled to see that the boat was filled with men-at-arms, all clad in mail, who held their lances in their hands, and whose shields were fastened to the sides of the boat, glittering in the moonlight. "I count forty and one lances and forty and one shields," said the youth to himself, "but these good friars will tell me that I have seen bulrushes and willow-leaves." He closed his eyes for a time and then rubbed them and looked out again. There was the boat, and there were the lances and the shields and the menat-arms, only nearer and more distinct, for the current of the river was rapid, and some noiseless oars or paddles were at work to increase the speed without giving the alarm. "I see what is in the

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wind," thought Elfric; "the Normans would surprise us and expel us by night, without rousing the good people of Spalding town.' He ran down the spiral staircase; but, short as was the time that he had been on the housetop, every light had been extinguished in the hall during the interval, every cell-door had been closed; and a chorus of loud snores that echoed along the corridor told him that, maugre their troubles and alarms, all the monks, novices, and lay-brothers were already fast asleep. "I will do what I can do," said the youth," for if I wake the superior he will do nothing. If the men of Spalding town cannot rescue us, they shall at least be witnesses to the wrongs put upon us. Nay, Gurth the smith, and Wybert the wheelwright, and Nat the weaver, and Leolf the woodsman, be brave-hearted knaves, and have the trick of archery. From the yon side of those ditches and trenches, which these heavy-armed Normans cannot pass, perchance a hole or two may be driven into their chain jerkins!"

Taking the largest horn in the house he again ascended to the roof, and turning towards the little town he blew with all his strength and skill, and kept blowing until he was answered by three or four horns in the town. By this time the boat was almost under the walls of the monastery, and an arrow from it came whistling close over the youth's head. "There are neither battlements nor parapets here," said he, "and it is now time to rouse the brethren." In a moment he was in the corridor rapping at the doors of the several cells, wherein the monks slept on, not hearing the blowing of the horns; but before half of the inmates were roused from their deep slumber the Normans

had landed from the boat, and had come round to the front of the house shouting, "Taille-Bois ! Taille-Bois! Notre Dame to our aid! and TailleBois to his own! Get up, ye Saxon churls that be ever sleeping or eating, and make way for better

· men !"

The superior forgot his gout and ran to the hall. They all ran to the hall, friars, novices, lay-brothers, and hinds, and lights were brought in and hurried deliberations commenced, in which every one took part. Although there was overmuch sloth, there was little cowardice among these recluses. If there had been any chance of making good the defence of the house, well I ween the major part of them would have voted for resistance; but chance there was none, and therefore, with the exception of Elfric, whose courage, at this time of his life, bordered on rashness, they all finally agreed with the superior that the wisest things to do would be to bid Hubert the portarius throw open the gate and lower the bridge; to assemble the whole community in the chapel, light up all the tapers on the high altar and shrines, and chant the Libera Nos Domine Good Lord deliver us!

"It is not psalmody that will save us from expulsion," thought Elfric.

Now Hubert the porter was too old and too ! much disturbed in spirit to do all that he had to do without help; and Father Cedric bade the sturdy novice go and assist him.

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May I die the death of a dog may I be hanged on a Norman gibbet," said Elfric to himself, I help to open the gates to these midnight robbers!" And instead of following Hubert down to the gate,

he went again (sine Abbatis licentiâ, without license or knowledge of his superior) to the housetop, to see whether any of the folk of Spalding town had ventured to come nigh. As he got to the corner of the roof from which he had blown the horn, he heard loud and angry voices below, and curses and threats in English and in Norman French. And he saw about a score of Spaldingmen in their sheepskin jackets and with bows and knives in their hands, menacing and reviling the mail-clad men-at-arms. The Saxons soon got themselves well covered from the foe, by a broad deep ditch, and by a bank; but some of the Normans had brought their bows with them, and a shaft let fly at the right moment when one of the Saxons was exposing his head and shoulders above the bank, took effect, and was instantly followed by a wild scream or yell " Wybert is down! Wybert is slain !"

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"Then this to avenge him, for Wybert was a good man and true;" and Elfric, who had brought a bow with him from the corridor, drew the string to his ear and let fly an arrow which killed the Norman that had killed Wybert the wright. It was the men-at-arms who now yelled; and, even as their comrade was in the act of falling, a dozen more arrows came whistling among them from behind the bank and made them skip.

Ivo Taille-Bois lifted up his voice and shouted, "Saxon churls, ye mean to befriend your faineant monks; but if ye draw another bow I will set fire to the cell and grill them all!"

This was a terrible threat, and the poor men of Spalding knew too well that Ivo could easily do that which he threatened. The noise had reached the

chapel, where the superior was robing himself, and Father Cedric came to the house-top to conjure the Saxons to retire and leave the servants of the saints to the protection of the saints. At the top of the spiral staircase he found the novice with the bow in his hand; and he said unto him, "What dost thou here, et sine licentia?"

"I am killing Normans," said Elfric; "but Wybert the wright is slain, and the men of Spalding are losing heart."

"Mad boy, get thee down, or we shall all be burned alive. Go help Hubert unbar the gate and drop the bridge."

"That will I never, though I break my monastic vow of obedience," said the youth. "But hark! the chain rattles!-the bridge is down the hinge creaks -by heaven! the gate is open-Ivo Taille-Bois and his devils are in the house! Then is this no place for me!" And before the monk could check him, or say another word to him, the novice rushed to the opposite side and leaped from the roof into the deep moat. Forgetting his mission-which was to conjure the Saxons in the name of Father Adhelm the superior of the house not to try the arms of the flesh,old Cedric followed to the spot whence the bold youth had taken his spring, but before he got there Elfric had swum the moat and was making fast for the Welland, in the apparent intention of getting into the fens beyond the river, where Norman pursuit after him could be of no avail. The monk then went towards the front of the building and addressed the Saxons who still lingered behind the ditch and the bank, bemoaning the fate of Wybert, and not knowing what to do. Raising his voice so that they might hear him, Cedric beseeched

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