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Page 212
He fastened Beau's rein to the door-pull and went in, again pulling his hood up over his face. Because of the dark outside, the light of the tiny eternal flame seemed to illuminate the whole small interior. Walter made his way to the far wall and to the door of the priest's room, which he opened.
"Father," he called, and as soon as he heard the priest's frightened gasp, he added, "do not rise, Father. I have only come to say that I have sinned again, not in the same way but in the press of events I did forget the penance you laid upon me."
He heard the creak of the bed and remembered that the priest could not understand him, but he knew the old man was no longer frightened because he was coming toward him. Walter put Simon's purse into his hand. He knew that what was nothing much to Simon might be half a year's revenue to this poor priest.
"Mea culpa," Walter said. "Mea culpa," knowing the priest would understand that.
The old man clutched at the purse. "Te absolvo," he replied, and something in the way he said it told Walter that his voice had been recognized.
"Benigne dicis." Walter hoped that meant thank you. He had heard it in situations that implied thanks. "Benigne dicis," he repeated, as he backed away.
The priest did not follow, but when Walter had gone out and closed the door, he came forward into the church and opened the purse to examine its contents in the wavering light near the altar table. Then he fell to his knees and thanked God with great fervor. He would not have dared to ask so much, yet God had provided, forgiving the greed that had racked him with regret for the past two days.
Walter let Beau take his own slow pace up the hill, feeling a warm sense of satisfaction as he found the opportunity to recite the prayers he had forgotten earlier. The repetition of the well-known, blessed words was soothing, and he himself was half-asleep by the time he reached the keep. It had been a long ride, and the previous night they had talked so long with Bassett that he had had little time abed. However, he was startled into alertness by a retainer who was waiting at the door to lead him to Prince Llewelyn's chamber. Here he found Simon warming himself at the fire beside which the Lord of Gwynedd and the Earl of Pembroke sat. Both wore

 
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