The child reached the corner of the infirmary, rounded it, andvanished. There was a distinct impression that as he quit the sightof any watchers in the great court he broke into a run again, for abare heel flashed suddenly and was gone. Hugh was grinning. Cadfaelcaught his friend’s eye, and said nothing.

“Let me hazard!” said Hugh, twinkling. “Youpicked your apples yesterday, and they’re not yet laid up inthe trays in the loft. Lucky it was not Prior Robert who saw him atit, and he with the breast of his cotte bulging like a portlydame!”

“Oh, there are some of us have a sort of silentunderstanding. He’ll have taken the biggest, but only four.He thieves in moderation. Partly from decent obligation, partlybecause half the sport is to tempt providence again andagain.”

Hugh’s agile black eyebrow signalled amused enquiry.“Why four?”

“Because we have but four boys still in school, and if hethieves at all, he thieves for all. There are severalnovices not very much older, but to them he has no obligation. Theymust do their own thieving, or go without. And do you know,”asked Cadfael complacently, “who that young limbis?”

“I do not, but you are about to astonish me.”

“I doubt if I am. That is Master Richard Ludel, the newlord of Eaton. Though plainly,” said Cadfael, wrylycontemplating shadowed innocence, “he does not yet knowit.”

Richard was sitting cross-legged on the grassy bank above themill-pond, thoughtfully nibbling out the last shreds of white fleshfrom round his apple core, when one of the novices came looking forhim.

“Brother Paul wants you,” announced the messenger,with the austerely complacent face of one aware of his own virtue,and delivering a probably ominous summons to another.“He’s in the parlour. You’d besthurry.”