It struck him as a curious name for a palfrey.
"Because," replied the Bishop, "soon after I had bought him he trampled to ruin, in a fit of misplaced merriment, some flower beds on which I had spent much precious time and care, and of which I was inordinately fond." "Brute," said the Knight, puzzled, but unwilling to admit it.
"Methinks I should have named him 'Devil,' for the doing of such diabolic mischief." "Nay," said the Bishop, gently.

"The Devil would have spared my flower beds.

They were a snare unto me." "And wherefore 'Sheba' ?" queried the Knight.
"I named her so, when I gave her to the Prioress," said the Bishop, "in reply to a question put to me by the Reverend Mother.

The ass was elderly and mild, even then, but a handsome creature, of good breed.
The Prioress asked me whether she still had too much spirit to be easily managed by the lay-sisters.

I answered that her name was 'Sheba.'" The Bishop paused and rubbed his hands softly over each other, in gleeful enjoyment of the recollection.
But the Knight again looked blank.
"Did that content the Prioress ?" he asked; but chiefly for love of mentioning her name.
"Perfectly," replied the Bishop.