‘All that I have is at your service, my son.  But,’ he added, with a wan smile, ’my Lenten fare is always somewhat meagre, and this year it has been such that I must ask you for a crust of bread if I am to have the strength to answer your questions.’

We bore two days’ rations in our haversacks, so that he soon had the little he asked for.  It was dreadful to see the wolfish way in which he seized the piece of dried goat’s flesh which I was able to offer him.

‘Time presses, and we must come to the point,’ said I.  ’We want your advice as to the weak points of yonder Abbey, and concerning the habits of the rascals who infest it.’

He cried out something which I took to be Latin, with his hands clasped and his eyes upturned.  ‘The prayer of the just availeth much,’ said he, ’and yet I had not dared to hope that mine would have been so speedily answered.  In me you see the unfortunate Abbot of Almeixal, who has been cast out by this rabble of three armies with their heretical leader.  Oh! to think of what I have lost!’ his voice broke, and the tears hung upon his lashes.

‘Cheer up, sir,’ said the Bart.  ’I’ll lay nine to four that we have you back again by tomorrow night.’

It is not of my own welfare that I think,’ said he, ’nor even of that of my poor, scattered flock.  But it is of the holy relics which are left in the sacrilegious hands of these robbers.’

’It’s even betting whether they would ever bother their heads about them,’ said the Bart.  ’But show us the way inside the gates, and we’ll soon clear the place out for you.’

In a few short words the good Abbot gave us the very points that we wished to know.  But all that he said only made our task more formidable.  The walls of the Abbey were forty feet high.  The lower windows were barricaded, and the whole building loopholed for musketry fire.  The gang preserved military discipline, and their sentries were too numerous for us to hope to take them by surprise.  It was more than ever evident that a battalion of grenadiers and a couple of breaching pieces were what was needed.  I raised my eyebrows, and the Bart began to whistle.

‘We must have a shot at it, come what may,’ said he.

The men had already dismounted, and, having watered their horses, were eating their suppers.  For my own part I went into the sitting-room of the inn with the Abbot and the Bart, that we might talk about our plans.

I had a little cognac in my sauve vie, and I divided it among us—­just enough to wet our moustaches.

‘It is unlikely,’ said I, ’that those rascals know anything about our coming.  I have seen no signs of scouts along the road.  My own plan is that we should conceal ourselves in some neighbouring wood, and then, when they open their gates, charge down upon them and take them by surprise.’

The Bart was of opinion that this was the best that we could do, but, when we came to talk it over, the Abbot made us see that there were difficulties in the way.