And indeed, as at that time, Brother Thomas spake not in his belly except to make sport and affray the simple people, soon turning their fears to mirth.

Certainly the country folk never misdoubted him, the women for a holy man, the men for a good fellow; though all they of his own cloth shrank from him, and I have seen them cross themselves in his presence, but to no avail.

He would say a word or two in their ears, and they straightway left the place where he might be.

None the less, with his tales and arts, Brother Thomas commonly so wrought that we seldom slept "a la belle etoile" in that bitter spring weather, but we ordinarily had leave to lie by the hearth, and got a supper and a breakfast.

The good peasants would find their hen- roosts the poorer often, for all that he could snap up was to him fortune of war.
I loved these manners little, but leave him I could not.