the remainder of the bread that I brought with me,' replied Richard.
Richard was a little surprised at how easily he spoke to the monk. It seemed that the monk was able to extract any information from him that he wanted and Richard willingly conveyed it. But Richard felt completely at ease with this stranger.
'Please, 'ave a meal with me,' offered the monk 'and I will pay the bill.'
''ow 'as a monk muney?' asked Richard, but then he felt that the question was impertinent. 'Please forgive me, I shuld nay 'ave asked.'
The monk laughed at the suggestion that the question was improper. 'God 'as been gud. Shall we 'ave food together?'
Richard realized that his stomach was demanding attention and he thought that a hot meal would be a wonderful start to the day. He would be in Bourne soon enuf. 'Aye, kind sir, I am grateful to you.'
Richard and the monk sat down at a table near the fire and a window. It was a beautiful day. Richard wondered why it was that yesterday could not have been so pleasant.
As they ate, the monk asked Richard why he was going to Bourne. When Richard replied that he was a journeyman glazier and that he had heard that glass work was being done at the Bourne Abbey, the monk replied, 'Nay me sone, that work is completed. You see, I am from the Bourne Abbey and have been on a trip for the Abbey to Grantham for a week. The work on the windows was completed the week before I left.'
This came as a shock to Richard. What was he to do now he wondered. There would be no point in going back to Stamford so soon, he needed to find work.
'Are you sure?' questioned Richard and immediately he felt that he had overstepped his bounds by appearing to not believe the word of a monk. 'Soory, I do nay mean to doubt you. It is just so disappointing to 'ear this news.'
'Aye, I am sure,' stated the monk. Then sensing Richard's plight, he suggested, 'Comb with me to the Abbey. You can see for yourself and maybe we can learn of work being dune elsewhere.'
'I am grateful. I am so close to Bourne now, that I may as well do as you say.'
'It is set'eld then,' exclaimed the monk. 'I will also see that you 'ave fresh provisions before you leave Bourne. We wuld nay send you away withoot provision.'
Richard was grateful and felt better about the situation.
The monk made a good companion for the short remainder of the trip to Bourne. He seemed to talk the entire way. Richard didn't remember much of what the monk said, but he would never forget about the glazier that the monk said had fallen from the abbey while placing a window. The glazier had died. Richard had never heard of such a thing and wondered about the danger associated with placing windows in high locations.
Richard had never been inside an abbey. The first thing that he noticed when they arrived was that everyone seemed to have a job to do and a place to be. They arrived just prior to the midday meal and all of the monks were gathering from about the abbey and coming in from the nearby fields. They gathered in a large hall filled with lines of tables and benches. The meal was to be bread and meat. The meat was a treat for Richard since he didn't often get the chance to eat such a wonderful meal. Before they ate, someone read a prayer in Latin that Richard did not understand. Following the prayer, they ate in silence.
Richard was introduced to the monk that had overseen the work on the windows. The monk showed him the windows in the west end of the chapel. Richard could observe from his position on the floor of the chapel that the work was exquisite. The scenes centered around the life of Christ and His parables. The light hadn't yet found full entrance through the window and yet the colors were brilliant. Richard felt that he could observe the window for hours.
According to the monk, the glaziers had moved on to Boston for work on St. Botolph's Church. Richard was disappointed indeed. Boston was another very long day walk at best or two days walk if the weather didn't hold up. He considered what this meant for the commitment that he had made Elizabeth to be gone no longer than necessary. Even