The Cloister and the Hearth Chapter 24 Part 1

In which young Gerard encounters the singular customs of German roadside inns, from stifling common rooms redolent with clammy odours to the communal dormitories where strangers are packed like cargo; and after a wild and rain-drenched journey culminating in a night spent among curious companions, he finds brief refuge in the charity of a monastery, where music and kindness offer balm to his wearied spirit. Throughout this passage, the peculiarities of foreign lands, the rough humour of their denizens, and the stoic endurance of a weary traveller are observed with gentle wit and a touch of melancholy longing.