Brother Matthew shuffled his parchments and pondered, still shaken by thesuddenness of the news. “There is no reason to hurry in the matter of theAylwin grant, he is an old friend to our order, his offer will certainly remainopen as long as need be. And the Hales fee-farm will date only from Lady Day ofnext year, so there’s time enough. But Master Bonel relies on the charter beingsealed very soon. He is waiting to move his belongings into the house.”

“Remind me of the terms, if you will,” the abbot requested apologetically.“My mind has been full of other matters, I have forgotten just what wasagreed.”

“Why, he grants to us his manor of Mallilie absolutely, with his severaltenants, in return for a messuage here at the abbey—the first house on the townside of the mill-pond is vacant, and the most suitable to hishousehold—together with keep for life for himself and his wife, andfor two servants also. The details are as usual in such cases. They shall havedaily two monks’ loaves and one servants’ loaf, two gallons of conventual aleand one of servants’ ale, a dish of meat such as the abbey sergeants have, onmeat-days, and of fish on fish-days, from the abbot’s kitchen, and anintermissum whenever extra dainties are provided. These to be fetched by theirmanservant. They shall also have a dish of meat or fish daily for their twodomestics. Master Bonel is also to have annually a robe such as the senior ofthe abbey officers receive, and his wife—she so prefers—shall have ten shillingsyearly to provide a robe for herself as she chooses. There is also a provisionof ten shillings yearly for linen, shoes and firing, and livery for one horse.And at the death of either, the other to retain possession of the house andreceive a moiety of all the aforesaid provisions, except that if the wife bethe survivor, she need not be provided with stabling for a horse. These are theterms, and I had intended to have witnesses come hither after chapter for theratification. The justice has a clerk waiting.”