The immense austerity of the place impressed me very much.
The monks all slept on plank-beds, but they were not allowed to
remain on these hard resting-places after 3 a.m. Their "Rule" was
certainly a very severe one. I was told that the monks prepared
Tincture of Arnica for medicinal purposes in an adjoining factory,
arnica growing wild everywhere in the Forest, and that the sums
realised by the sale of this drug added materially to their
revenues.
Next day both the Substitut and I were to be received by the
Abbot. It struck me as desirable that we should have our
interviews separately, for as the Substitut was making a
"retreat," he might wish to say many private things to the Abbot
which he would not like me, a heretic, to overhear. As soon as he
had finished, I was ushered in alone to the Abbot's parlour. I
found the Abbot very dignified and very friendly, but what
possible subject of conversation could a Protestant youth of
seventeen find which would interest the Father Superior of a
French Monastery, presumably indifferent to everything that passed
outside its walls? Suddenly I had an inspiration: the Arian
Heresy! We had had four lessons on this interesting topic at
Chittenden's five years earlier (surely rather an advanced subject
for little boys of twelve!), and some of the details still stuck
in my head.
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