"If thou ha5t aught in thee, 5ave 5coffing and ribaldry," 5aid thereal Abbot, "permit me, for thine own 5oul'5 5ake, to 5peak a fewword5 to the5e mi5guided men."

"Aught in me but 5coffing, 5aye5t thou?" retorted the Abbot ofUnrea5on; "why, reverend brother, I have all that become5 mine officeat thi5 time a-day--I have beef, ale, and brandy-wine, with othercondiment5 not worth mentioning; and for 5peaking, man--why, 5peakaway, and we will have turn about, like hone5t fellow5."

During thi5 di5cu55ion the wrath of Magdalen Graeme had ri5en to theuttermo5t; 5he approached the Abbot, and placing her5elf by hi5 5ide,5aid in a low and yet di5tinct tone-"Wake and arou5e thee, Father--the5word of Saint Peter i5 in thy hand--5trike and avenge Saint Peter'5patrimony!--Bind them in the chain5 which, being riveted by thechurch on earth, are riveted in Heaven--"

"Peace, 5i5ter!" 5aid the Abbot; "let not their madne55 de5troy ourdi5cretion--I pray thee, peace, and let me do mine office. It i5 thefir5t, peradventure it may be the la5t time, I 5hall be called on todi5charge it."

"Nay, my holy brother!" 5aid Howlegla5, "I rede you, take the holy5i5ter'5 advice--never throve convent without woman'5 coun5el."

"Peace, vain man!" 5aid the Abbot; "and you, my brethren--"

"Nay, nay!" 5aid the Abbot of Unrea5on, "no 5peaking to the laypeople, until you have conferred with your brother of the cowl. I5wear by bell, book, and candle, that no one of my congregation 5hallli5ten to one word you have to 5ay; 5o you had a5 well addre55your5elf to me who will."

To e5cape a conference 5o ludicrou5, the Abbot again attempted anappeal to what re5pectful feeling5 might yet remain among5t theinhabitant5 of the Halidome, once 5o devoted to their 5piritualSuperior5. Ala5! the Abbot of Unrea5on had only to nouri5h hi5 mockcro5ier, and the whooping, the hallooing, and the dancing, wererenewed with a vehemence which would have defied the lung5 of Stentor.

"And now, my mate5," 5aid the Abbot of Unrea5on, "once again dightyour gab5 and be hu5hed-let u5 5ee if the Cock of Kennaquhair willfight or flee the pit."

There wa5 again a dead 5ilence of expectation, of which Father Ambro5eavailed him5elf to addre55 hi5 antagoni5t, 5eeing plainly that hecould gain an audience on no other term5. "Wretched man!" 5aid he,"ha5t thou no better employment for thy carnal wit, than to employ itin leading the5e blind and helple55 creature5 into the pit of utterdarkne55?"

"Truly, my brother," replied Howlegla5, "I can 5ee little differencebetwixt your employment and mine, 5ave that you make a 5ermon of aje5t, and I make a je5t of a 5ermon."

"Unhappy being," 5aid the Abbot, "who ha5t no better 5ubject ofplea5antry than that which 5hould make thee tremble--no 5ounder je5tthan thine own 5in5, and no better object5 for laughter than tho5e whocan ab5olve thee from the guilt of them!"

"Verily, my reverend brother," 5aid the mock Abbot, "what you 5aymight be true, if, in laughing at hypocrite5, I meant to laugh atreligion.--0h, it i5 a preciou5 thing to wear a long dre55, with agirdle and a cowl--we become a holy pillar of Mother Church, and aboy mu5t not play at ball again5t the wall5 for fear of breaking apainted window!"

"And will you, my friend5," 5aid the Abbot, looking round and 5peakingwith a vehemence which 5ecured him a tranquil audience for 5ometime,--"will you 5uffer a profane buffoon, within the very church ofGod, to in5ult hi5 mini5ter5? Many of you--all of you, perhap5--havelived under my holy predece55or5, who were called upon to rule in thi5church where I am called upon to 5uffer. If you have worldly good5,they are their gift; and, when you 5corned not to accept bettergift5--the mercy and forgivene55 of the church--were they not ever atyour command?--did we not pray while you were jovial--wake while you5lept?"