"But," said the old janitor, making that reverence to his superiors which he was bounden to do, "may I ask what it is that the corbel holds?" "A babe," said the prior. "And of the feminine gender--to make the matter worse," said the teacher of the Novices. "'Tis witchcraft," said Humphrey--"'tis nought but witchcraft! What Christian man, or woman either, could ever think of sending a babe to the monks of Reading!" "But who sent the basket?" said the abbat. "That know I not," said old Humphrey, still crossing himself. "Then who left it with thee?" asked the sacrist. "Two serfs that I have seen at this house aforetime," said Humphrey--"two honest-visaged churls, who were out of breath when they came to the wicket, and who went away to the westward so soon as they had put the basket in my hands, and told me to handle it gently, and carry it to my lord abbat forthwith." "And said they nothing more?" quoth the prior. "Yea, they did say there was delicate stuff within." "And what stuff didst thou think it was?" said the coquinarius. "Verily something to eat or drink." "Thou art stolid," said the sour sub-prior; "thou art stolid, oh Humphrey, to take a corbel from strange men. Wouldst know the serfs again?" "I should know them again if I could but see them again. Seen them I have aforetime. Whose men they be I know not; but I thought I had seen them before bring gifts and offerings to our house; and it is not in my office to open anything that is shut, except the convent-door; and ill would it have beseemed me to have been prying into a basket left for my lord abbat." "But said the churls nothing else?" asked the abbat. "Bethink thee, oh Humphrey! said the churls nought else?" "Methinks that when I asked them whose men they were, and who had sent this present, one of them did make reply that my lord abbat would know right well." Here all our eyes were bent upon the good abbat, who, to tell the truth, did look somewhat conturbated. But when the head of our house had recovered from this sudden emotion, he said to the janitor, "Were those the very words the man did speak?" "The matter of the words was that," said Humphrey; "yet I do think the slaves subjoined that if your lordship knew not who sent the gift, your lordship would soon know right well. But as the churl was walking away while he was speaking, I cannot say that these were his _ipsissima verba_." "Janitor," quoth the abbat, "knowest thou what festival of mother church it is we have celebrated this day?" "The feast of the blessed Saint Edbert," responded Humphrey, with a genuflexion and an _ora pro nobis_. "Then from this day forward," quoth the lord abbat, "take not and admit not within these gates any donation or thing whatsoever from men that thou knowest not, and that run from our door instead of tarrying to refresh themselves in the hospitium."