"Excepting moonlight nights, when the venison is in season," said his
guest.
"'Exceptis excipiendis'" replied the hermit, "as our old abbot taught me
to say, when impertinent laymen should ask me if I kept every punctilio
of mine order."
"True, holy father," said the knight; "but the devil is apt to keep
an eye on such exceptions; he goes about, thou knowest, like a roaring
lion."
"Let him roar here if he dares," said the friar; "a touch of my cord
will make him roar as loud as the tongs of St Dunstan himself did. I
never feared man, and I as little fear the devil and his imps. Saint
Dunstan, Saint Dubric, Saint Winibald, Saint Winifred, Saint Swibert,
Saint Willick, not forgetting Saint Thomas a Kent, and my own poor
merits to speed, I defy every devil of them, come cut and long
tail.--But to let you into a secret, I never speak upon such subjects,
my friend, until after morning vespers."
He changed the conversation; fast and furious grew the mirth of the
parties, and many a song was exchanged betwixt them, when their revels
were interrupted by a loud knocking at the door of the hermitage.
The occasion of this interruption we can only explain by resuming the
adventures of another set of our characters; for, like old Ariosto, we
do not pique ourselves upon continuing uniformly to keep company with
any one personage of our drama.