When the ceremony had been gone through I complained of fatigue, and
requested to be left alone.
I wished to reflect upon what had passed, and determine how I was to
act: to escape the danger which threatened me, I had placed myself in a
situation of still greater difficulty. Where could it end? After a long
reverie, I decided that I would make Marie my confidante, and trust to
circumstances to guide my future conduct. I rang the bell, and,
requesting the presence of the elder sister of the convent, commenced an
inquiry into the different characters of the nuns who had been
presented.
Flattered by the confidence demanded, there was no end to the loquacity
and the ill-natured remarks of the old beldame: she held her list in her
hand, and ran over the families and private history of each. It was two
hours before she had finished, which she did with Marie, of whose
history she gave me a most minute detail; and if she was as correct in
her reports of all the others, I certainly had no reason to compliment
myself upon being abbess, as far as the previous characters of the nuns
under my surveillance were concerned. "Good sister," replied I, "I thank
you for your information, which I shall not fail to profit by in my
plans for the improvement of the morality of those under my charge. I
have always made it a rule, that one of the sisterhood should remain in
my room every night, to watch and do penance. I have found that when
coupled with my seasonable exhortations, it has produced an excellent
effect.
Pages:
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144