Ivanhoe，whohadotherwebtoweavethantostandcanvassingapalfrey’spaceswithitsowner，lentbutadeafeartothePrior’sgraveadvicesandfacetiousjests，andhavingleaptonhismare，andcommandedhissquireforsuchGurthnowcalledhimselftokeepclosebyhisside，hefollowedthetrackoftheBlackKnightintotheforest，whilethePriorstoodatthegateoftheconventlookingafterhim，andejaculating，——``SaintMary！howpromptandfierybethesemenofwar！IwouldI
hadnottrustedMalkintohiskeeping，for，crippledasIamwiththecoldrheum，Iamundoneifaughtbutgoodbefallsher。Andyet，’’saidhe，recollectinghimself，``asIwouldnotsparemyownoldanddisabledlimbsinthegoodcauseofOldEngland，soMalkinmuste’enrunherhazardonthesameventure；anditmaybetheywillthinkourpoorhouseworthyofsomemunificentguerdon——or，itmaybe，theywillsendtheoldPriorapacingnag。
Andiftheydononeofthese，asgreatmenwillforgetlittlemen’sservice，trulyIshallholdmewellrepaidinhavingdonethatwhichisright。Anditisnowwellnighthefittingtimetosummonthebrethrentobreakfastintherefectory——Ah！Idoubttheyobeythatcallmorecheerilythanthebellsforprimesandmatins。’’
SothePriorofSaintBotolph’shobbledbackagainintotherefectory，topresideoverthestockfishandale，whichwasjustservingoutforthefriars’breakfast。Pursyandimportant，hesathimdownatthetable，andmanyadarkwordhethrewout，ofbenefitstobeexpectedtotheconvent，andhighdeedsofservicedonebyhimself，which，atanotherseason，wouldhaveattractedobservation。
Butasthestockfishwashighlysalted，andthealereasonablypowerful，thejawsofthebrethrenweretooanxiouslyemployedtoadmitoftheirmakingmuchuseoftheirears；nordowereadofanyofthefraternity，whowastemptedtospeculateuponthemysterioushintsoftheirSuperior，exceptFatherDiggory，whowasseverelyafflictedbythetoothache，sothatbecouldonlyeatononesideofhisjaws。