His hands were so accustomed to the rein, the bow, and the sword that they bungled over the work of forming letters.

Nevertheless, by the time the Percys returned, three months and a half after his arrival at the castle, he could both read and write short and simple words; and as these formed a large proportion of English speech, at the time, he had made a considerable step in the path of learning, and the monk was highly pleased with his pupil.
"I shall not be able to come tomorrow, Father," he said to the monk, one day.

"The earl and Sir Henry will be back tonight, and my uncle says that I must keep near him, tomorrow; so that, if opportunity offers, he may present me to the knight." "I feared it would come to that," the monk said.

"I wish they had all stopped away, another three or four months; then you would have got over your difficulty of piecing together syllables, so as to make up a long word.

'Tis a thousand pities that you should stop altogether, just when you are getting on so well." "I will come as often as I can, Father, if you will let me." "No, no, lad.