The Silent Prince/Chapter 15
CHAPTER XV.
THE LADY ABBESS.
In a simple but richly appointed room sat Monseigneur Ryder and the Mother Superior of the convent of the Sacred Heart. The lady wore the customary long flowing robe of her Order, but the material was of the softest texture, and heavy cord and tassels of silk confined the garment at the waist. She had one of those dark, beautiful faces which defy the ravages of time—whose beauty time enhances rather than diminishes. Ordinarily the face of the Lady Abbess expressed simply thoughtfulness and an indomitable will: but for a moment the mask was laid aside. Her countenance grew hard and the stern lips seemed framed to pronounce judgment. The look of calm repose had fled and was replaced by an expression which indicated coldness, disillusion, reproach and bitterness.
“I tell you, Monseigneur, I cannot do it.”
“And I repeat, my cousin, that you shall.”
The two faces looked as though they might have been hewn out of the same block of marble, so similar were they in feature and expression.
The dark eyes of the Lady Abbess flashed and her breast heaved with suppressed emotion.
“Have a care, Julius!” she said. “Do not goad me too far.”
“Be so kind, fair cousin, as to remember the amount of your indebtedness to me.”
“Indebtedness!” The Mother Superior laughed in derision. “Indebtedness is a good word, Julius. I am indebted to you for a rest which is not peace―a calm which is not submission―an endurance my fate which has no kin to resignation. I tell you, Julius, that the man or woman whom worldliness drives into the convent or cloister, is not delivered from the evil passions of the world. The consecrated garments of the Church, as you well know, leave the breast above which they are folded precisely what it was before.”
“See to it, my lady, that you keep such heretical doctrines locked securely in your own bosom. You are indebted to me, and you know it. I have provided you with what your soul craves―position, power, and, above all,” he added significantly, “with a house of refuge. Furthermore, those privileges and extensions which you are desirous of having this convent secure rest entirely upon my recommendations. Submit to my will, and your requests shall be granted. Refuse, and I will see to it that your power is materially limited.
These words brought the Lady Abbess to submission. “Well, Julius, it is folly for us to quarrel, we are of too much use to each other. Forgive my frankness, for I have been seriously tried of late. I will do as you desire. When does this girl arrive?”
“In a few hours,” said Monseigneur, rising. “I go to accompany them hither. I am glad, Agnes, that you are wise enough not to break friendship with me. You say truly that we need each other. Farewell for a brief time.”
The Jesuit repaired at once to the house occupied by Madame La Tour and her daughter. He found them occupied in gathering together what effects could be conveniently carried with them.
Katharine was selecting a few volumes from a small bookcase.
“You do not need to take any books, my daughter,” said the Superior. “The convent library is quite extensive, and what farther reading matter you lack, I will see is supplied from my own library.”
“Permit me, holy father, to take these two volumes with me,” said Katharine, holding out a translation of the Bible used by the Huguenots and a collection of Theodore Beza's hymns. “I prize them highly, because they were so dear to my father,” added the girl.
“The poems you may keep, Mademoiselle, but we are strictly enjoined on peril of our souls not to meddle with the Word of God. This holy Word is like a two-edged sword, wounding and bringing death to all unskilled hands which dare wield it. I will explain to you such portions of the Bible as are necessary for a right interpretation of the doctrines of the Roman Catholic faith.”
The carriage had now arrived which was to convey them to their destination. Madame La Tour hoped and prayed that their stay in the convent might be brief. She knew the character of these places by reputation, and the reports which were rife among the Huguenots, while exaggerated, were not lacking in a foundation of fact which furnished just material for condemnation.
In a short time they traversed the distance between their boarding place and the convent of the Sacred Heart. It was located in close proximity to the House of the Jesuits. The grounds were enclosed by a brick wall from twelve to fifteen feet in height.
The ladies alighted from the carriage, and Monseigneur Ryder rapped three times in quick succession on the wall. Immediately a door was opened by a portress, who invited the guests to enter. Katharine gave a cry of pleasure at the view before her. The convent was an old stone building, partially covered with clinging vines. The neatly trimmed shrubbery, the gravelled walks, beds filled with a riotous profusion of flowers, murmuring fountains, and the pleasant shadow of trees, made these grounds like an Eden in miniature. Even a more resigned expression came over the worn face of Madame La Tour at the quiet, peaceful scene.
From out of the vine-clad porch came the stately figure of the Abbess, her fine features wearing a look of calmness and her lips wreathed with smiles.
“You are welcome to the convent of the Sacred Heart,” she said in a rich, expressive voice, giving her hand to Madame La Tour and pressing a kiss upon the girl's fair forehead. “I trust our humble abode may prove a restful asylum for you both. I have learned your sad history with commiseration.”
These sympathetic words allayed Madame's fears. As for Katharine, with the impulsiveness of youth, she yielded willing homage to this gracious woman.
Monseigneur Ryder watched the scene with satisfaction. He knew full well that if the Lady Abbess chose to be fascinating no young person could long withstand the charm of her personality.
Sister Margaret was summoned, who escorted the ladies to a pleasant suite of rooms on the second floor, daintily furnished, with all the necessary conveniences.
“I did not expect to find such creature comfort in a convent,” said Madame La Tour in surprise.
“You forget that you are guests of the Lady Abbess,” said their guide. “The Sisters themselves are permitted no such luxuries.”
“I should not be surprised if we were able to tolerate a few weeks here with some degree of pleasure,” said Madame, in relieved tones.
“I am in love with the convent already,” replied Katharine. “After having been driven before the storm far so many weary months, it is pleasant to find such a quiet haven. As for the Mother Superior, she is simply adorable.”
The lay sister, while apparently arranging the room, listened intently to the conversation of the guests.
Meanwhile Monseigneur Ryder and the Lady Abbess were again conversing in a private ante-room.
“What do you think of the ladies?” the Jesuit was saying.
“The mother can be easily disposed of. The daughter will require judicious management.”
“Such as my fair cousin knows well how to give,” replied Monseigneur.
“Katharine La Tour is a very attractive girl. She is generous, impulsive, affectionate. She reminds me of my own girlhood, with this exception: she has learned in the school of adversity how to restrain the wild impulses of the heart, while I gave the rein to my foolish fancies. But she has no business here, Julius, with that face. Let us understand each other. Are you fully determined on having her take the veil?”
“Most emphatically, yes. And Agnes,” he added, “I want everything made pleasant and easy for Mademoiselle La Tour. Do not use discipline, except as a last resort. I would give much to have her accede to my wishes of her own free will.”
The Lady Abbess regarded her cousin in surprise. “I never heard you express such a humane sentiment toward one of my sex before, Julius. This young girl must possess wonderful magic, if she has touched the cold heart of Monseigneur Ryder.”
The Superior winced at these words. “I admit frankly, Agnes, that I am strangely interested in this girl. Why, I know not and I care not. Aside from this fact remains the more practical one of the girl's fortune. A small portion of this property will revert to the mother; another slice will be required to satisfy the cupidity of the civil magistrate; but the bulk will go to endow this splendidly equipped convent. You see, cousin mine, that self-interest alone should prompt you to do your best in this case.”
“And my best I will do, Julius. You have my assurance that in a short time Katharine La Tour, of her own free will, shall become a Sister of my Order.”