He was called Padre Fabiano, and was said to be, and looked to be, upwards of eighty years old.

Probably, however, his age was much short of that.

For the nature of his dwelling-place was such as to stand in the place of time, in its power to do worse than time's work on the human frame.
Of course, it can be no matter of question, why a monk is here or is there, does this or does that.

Obedience to the will of his superiors is the only reason for all that, in the case of other human beings, depends on their own volition.

The monk has no volition.
No human being who had, it might be supposed, would consent to live at St.Apollinare in Classe, with one lay brother for a companion, and discharge the duties assigned to the Padre Fabiano.