“Well, I suppose we must try you as a probationer at any rate,” said the Superior.  And suddenly his whole manner changed.  He became affectionate and sentimental as he put his hand on Mark’s shoulder.

“I hope, dear lad, that you will find a vocation to serve our dear Lord in the religious life.  God bless you and give you endurance in the path you have chosen.”

Mark reproached himself for his inclination to dislike the Reverend Father to whom he now owed filial affection, piety, and respect, apart from what he owed him as a Christian of Christian charity.  He should gain but small spiritual benefit from his self-chosen experiment if this was the mood in which he was beginning his monastic life; and when Brother Jerome, who was acting novice-master, began to instruct him in his monastic duty, he made up his mind to drive out that demon of criticism or rather to tame it to his own service by criticizing himself.  He wrote on markers for his favourite devotional books: 

Observe at every moment of the day the good in others, the evil in thyself; and when thou liest awake in the night remember only what good thou hast found in others, what evil in thyself.

This was Mark’s addition to Thomas a Kempis, to Mother Juliana of Norwich, to Jeremy Taylor and William Law; this was Mark’s sprout of holy wisdom among the Little Flowers of Saint Francis.

The Rule of Malford was not a very austere adaptation of the Rule of Saint Benedict; and, with the Reverend Father departing after Mark had been admitted as a probationer and leaving the administration of the Abbey to the priority of Brother Dunstan, a good deal of what austerity had been retained was now relaxed.

The Night Office was not said at Malford, where the liturgical worship of the day began with Lauds and Prime at six.  On Mark devolved the duty of waking the brethren in the morning, which was done by striking the door of each cell with a hammer and saying:  The Lord be with you, whereupon the sleeping brother must rise from his couch and open the door of his cell to make the customary response.  After Lauds and Prime, which lasted about half an hour, the brethren retired to their cells to put them in order for the day and to meditate until seven o’clock, unless they had been given tasks out of doors.  At seven o’clock, if there was a priest in the monastery, Mass was said; otherwise meditation and study was prolonged until eight o’clock, when breakfast was eaten.  Those who had work in the fields or about the house departed after breakfast to their tasks.  At nine Terce was said, which was not attended by the brethren working out of doors; at twelve Sext was said attended by all the brethren, and at twelve-fifteen dinner was eaten.  After dinner, the brethren retired to their cells and meditated until one o’clock, when their various duties were resumed, interrupted only in the case of those working indoors by the office of None at three o’clock.