obedient Baudet’s jaw dropped as a maelstrom of emotions overwhelmed him but, above all, he was mortified and filled with sorrow that his visit had caused so much trouble for his friend.
“Brother Ferrand, I am lost for words. Had I not come here today, you would not be facing what are disciplinary charges.”
“Do not worry,” Ferrand replied and, placing his hand on Baudet’s shoulders, he added, “the prior quotes chapters from The Rule, to which we all subscribe as Benedictines. To follow them, word by word, would impair our ability even to function in the present climate. Far better – and Abbot Henri agrees – to live by the spirit of The Rule. The prior may well report all this to the abbot who will, be assured, say: ‘Leave the matter with me, I will speak with Brother Ferrand.’”
spirit “
