132 



THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



talent but an acknowledgement of the power of his party, and he 

 applauded without measure or judgment. "^^ 



But this is a digression and we must return to our victims whom 

 we left standing before their respective Bishops. 



The monk was sent to his cell and promptly knelt down to pray 

 that the Bishop's heart should be touched. We can leave him to 

 describe the result in his own words. As the nun in La Religieuse 

 has the same happy inspiration under exactly similar circumstances 

 we can give her version alongside the monk's: 



"I knelt and implored the 

 Almighty to touch the Bishop's 

 heart. . . . As I was thus em- 

 ployed I heard steps in the 

 passage. They ceased for a 

 moment and I was silent. It 

 appeared the persons overheard 

 me and paused; and those few 

 words, uttered in solitude, made, 

 I found, a deep impression on 

 them. A few minutes after the 

 Bishop, with some dignified atten- 

 dants, followed by the Superior, 

 entered my cell. The former all 

 stopped, horrified at its appear- 

 ance. I have told you. Sir, that 

 my cell now consisted of four bare 

 walls and a bed — it was a scandal- 

 ous, degrading sight. I was 

 kneeling in the middle of the 

 floor, God knows, without the 

 least idea of producing an effect. 

 The Bishop gazed around him for 

 some time, while the ecclesiastics 

 who attended him testified their 

 horror by looks and attitudes that 

 needed no interpretation. The 

 Bishop, after a pause, turned to 

 the Superior: 'Well, what do you 

 say to this?' The Superior 

 hesitated, and at last said: *I 



"Je priais, lorsque l'archi- 

 diacre, ses deux compagnons et la 

 supérieure parurent dans ma cel- 

 ule. 



Je vous ai dit que j'étais sans 

 tapisserie, sans chaise, sans prie- 

 dieu, sans rideaux, sans matelas, 

 sans couverture, sans draps, sans 

 aucun vaisseau, sans porte qui 

 fermât, presque sans vitre en- 

 tière à mes fenêtres. 



Je me levai, et l'archidiacre 

 s'arrêtant tout court et tournant 

 des yeux d'indignation sur la 

 Supérieure lui dit: "Eh bien! 

 madame?" 



Elle répondit, "Je l'ignor- 

 ais." 



Vous l'ignoriez? vous mentez ! 

 Avez-vous passé un jour sans 

 entrer ici, et n'en descendiez-vous 

 pas quand vous êtes venue? 

 Soeur Suzanne, parlez: madame 

 n'est-elle pas entrée ici d'aujourd' 

 hui?" 



32 Me/. I, p. 155. 



