How is Abbot Aelian described in the novel, An Infestation of Unicorns?

Abbot Aelian is described as a sensitive man, who is self-conscious about his position: "He [Abbot Aelian] felt that the entire countryside was laughing at the monastery, at the monks and—most particularly—at him. And he was right." But if grumpy and without a sense of humor, he has a good sense of proportion about life: He looked years older than when he had arrived at the abbey just eighteen months earlier. His temper was as sour as his stomach these days, but he would not take it out on the boys.