I must confess, that when I called to mind the punishment which had been
inflicted on me through her means, and the manner in which she had
attempted to betray me to my death, I felt very much inclined to revenge
myself by scourging her severely; but although the affection I once felt
for her had passed away, I had a natural tenderness for the sex, which
made me abandon this petty revenge. My object was to remove her, so that
I might not be recognised in my worldly attire; and she, I knew, was the
only person who could prove that I had killed her lover. I therefore
raised her up, and telling her that I was satisfied with her
repentance, and, as far as I was personally concerned, forgave her
ill-treatment, desired her to repair to her confessor, who was the
proper person to award a punishment for such a catalogue of heinous
crimes. The next day I was in the confessional, when she narrated all
that had passed: I then told her she had nothing to do, but to
propitiate Heaven by dedicating her musical talents to its service;
pointing out, that her only chance of salvation was from immediately
taking the veil. I refused to listen to any other species of penance,
however severe, for which she gladly would have compromised the
sentence. Goaded by her conscience, miserable at the desertion and death
of her lover, and alarmed at the threats of excommunication, in less
than a week she repaired to the Ursuline Convent; and, after a short
probation, she took the veil, and was admitted as one of the sisterhood.
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