In all the quetes, or collections of the convent, the
well-meaning Bernois had really shown himself a man of bowels, and one
that was disposed to favor humanity, even while it helped the cause of his
arch enemy, the Pope. The clavier was always well received, not only in
his bailiwick but in his chateau, and in spite of numberless little
skirmishes on doctrine and practice, they always met with a welcome and
generally parted in peace. This feeling of amity and good-will extended to
the superior and to all the others of the holy community, for in addition
to a certain heartiness of character in the bailiff, there was mutual
interest to maintain it. At the period of which we write, the vast
possessions with which the monks of St. Bernard had formerly been endowed
were already much reduced by sequestrations in different countries, that
of Savoy in particular, and they were reduced then, as now, to seek
supplies to meet the constant demands of travellers in the liberality of
the well-disposed and charitable; and the liberality of Peterchen was
thought to be cheaply purchased by his jokes, while, on the other hand, he
had so many occasions, either in his own person or those of his friends,
to visit the convent, that he always forbore to push contention to a
quarrel.
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