What do the people in The Canterbury Tales think of the Pardoner?

The Pardoner is one of those loveable irascible rogues in
literature whom we normally love to hate. Certainly one of his many functions in this
excellent collection of tales is to instil some colour, verve and flair into the
storytelling, especially when compared with some of the other, more sombre offerings we
are entitled to in this collection.

From what we can glean
from the text, he is suspected and distrusted by the other pilgrims travelling with him,
and with reason. He himself, in the prologue to his tale, says quite
openly:

"I'll
tell you in a word what I'm about:

I preach for money, and
for nothing else."

He also
goes through the elaborate way he has of fleecing people of their money to buy pardons
for sins they have yet to commit, and how he builds his success around a series of
"dodges" or "tricks" that involve fooling people. And he plays the part oh so incredibly
well, according to the "Prologue." Although he is described in rather a repulsive way
(the narrator says he has "bulging eyes" and wonders whether he is a "gelding" because
of his clean-shaven face and lank, yellow hair), he is remarkably successful in his
trade:

But
with these relics, when he came upon

Some poor up-country
priest or backwoods parson,

In just one day he'd pick up
far more money

Than any parish priest was like to
see

In two whole months. With double-talk and
tricks

He made the people and the priest his
dupes.

Therefore the Pardoner
seems to be very open about his deceit, and the majority of the company seem to look on
him with suspicion as a figure of fun who can provide them with more excitement and fun
than certain other characters can.