Hugh reached a long arm to draw his wife to him, with somethingbetween a laugh and a sigh. “Lady, there is much in what yousay, and this world is full of injustice.”

“Still I suppose it was not Ruald’s fault,”said Aline, relenting. “I daresay he would have released herif he could. It’s done, and I hope, wherever she is, she hassome comfort in her life. And I suppose if a man really isovertaken by an act of God there’s nothing he can do butobey. It may even have cost him almost as much. What kind ofbrother has he made, Cadfael? Was it really something that couldnot be denied?”

“Truly,” said Cadfael, “it seems that it was.The man is wholly devoted. I verily believe he had nochoice.” He paused reflectively, finding it hard to discoverthe appropriate words for a degree of self-surrender which wasimpossible to him. “He has now that entire security thatcannot be moved by well or ill, since to his present stateeverything is well. If martyrdom was demanded of him now, he wouldaccept it with the same serenity as bliss. Indeed it would bebliss, he knows nothing less. I doubt if he gives a thought to anypart of that life he led for forty years, or the wife he knew andabandoned. No, Ruald had no choice.”

Aline was regarding him steadily with her wide iris eyes, thatwere so shrewd in their innocence. “Was it like that foryou,” she asked, “when your time came?”

“No, I had a choice. I made a choice. It was even a hardchoice, but I made it, and I hold to it. I am no such elect saintas Ruald.”

“Is that a saint?” and Aline. “It seems to meall too easy.”

The charter of the exchange of lands betweenHaughmond and Shrewsbury was drawn up, sealed and witnessed in thefirst week of September. Some days later Brother Cadfael andBrother Richard the sub-prior went to view the new acquisition, andconsider its future use to the best advantage of the abbey. Themorning was misty when they set out, but by the time they hadreached the ferry just upstream from the field the sun was alreadycoming through the haze, and their sandalled feet left dark tracksthrough the dewy grass above the shore.