'Prior John.' said the nobleman, 'I am sensible of thy kindness, but I cannot now accept the offer of thine hospitality. I am visiting Ipswich upon business, and must return again by moonlight to my own castle. But I would crave thy charity for these my boatmen, if thou wilt give them rest and refreshment, beneath the roof of the porter until such time as we come back.' 'Most assuredly, De Freston! We should have been proud to have entertained thee, thy daughter, and thy friends; for we are not unmindful of thy love for our institution, and know well thy devotion to the ways of thine ancestors. Our books record thy gifts.' 'Say nothing of them, Father John, say nothing of them, and think of them less. If thou wilt receive my men, I will not forget it when I next pay my vows at St. Peter's shrine.' 'They shall be made welcome. The boat can be moored to the Priory steps, and, Antony, conduct the men to the lodge. We will see that they shall be taken care of.' The men were glad enough to be so located for a time, for they knew well that, however seemingly self-denying and outwardly stern the Prior and his brotherhood might be in ceremonious matters of religion, there was no lack of good cheer within their walls, and no failure in their supply to any whom they made welcome. Gladly they followed Antony, after their master had departed with his daughter and the young men for the interior of the town. They had not long been seated on the polished oaken benches of the lofty room, in the interior of Antony's lodge, before they were visited by some of the fraternity, under pretence of seeing if they fared well. There was no doubt of that; but the Friar was curious, and when did a monk note a stranger of any consequence and not desire to know more of him? 'Who is the young man with thy master?' asked the inquisitive Simon, as he placed a huge leathern black jug of Prior's ale upon the table before Herbert, the pilot. 'That is Master William Latimer, my master's kinsman, from Oxford.' 'Ho! from Oxford! and dost thou know why and wherefore he is come?' 'I know not, your reverence, why or wherefore he is come; but we have our thoughts, good father.' 'So have all men, Herbert, so have all men; and I dare say now thy thoughts were as much toward thy mistress as towards the young man?' 'I don't know that, father; I seldom trouble my head about things that don't concern me; and when I said we had our thoughts, I was not then thinking of our mistress.' 'Humph!'--and the Friar seemed a little disappointed--'hath he been long at the castle?' 'But three days, father. He came to see Freston Tower finished and adorned, and to bring his presents of learned books to the Lady Ellen.' 'And did he bring them for her? I have heard thy mistress is wonderfully clever for her years. Our young townsman, who accompanies them, tells me thus much. But dost thou know the object of thy master's visit to Ipswich this afternoon?'