would have made her vows perpetual by taking the black veil, but her Superior constantly dissuaded her from it.  She was young, and life, with its possibilities, was all before her; she must wait many years before she took the step that could not be retracted without perjury.  And so each year she renewed her vow a twelvemonth.  The seventh year of her religious life was drawing to its close, and she had notified her superior of her wish now, after so many years of probation, to take the black veil, and make her vows perpetual.  And the Abbess had, at length, listened favorably to her expressed wishes.

But a few days after this, as the good old Mother, Martha, the portress, sat dozing over her rosary, behind the hall grating, the outer door was thrown open, and a young man, in a midshipman’s undress uniform, entered rather brusquely, and came up to the grating.  Touching his hat precisely as if the old lady had been his superior officer, he said, hastily: 

“Madam, if you please, I wish to see Mrs. ——­; you know who I mean, I presume? my cousin, Jacquelina.”

The portress knew well enough, for she had seen Cloudy there several times before, but she replied: 

“You mean, young gentleman, that pious daughter, called in the world Mrs. Grimshaw, but in religion Sister Theresa?”

“Fal lal!—­that is—­I beg your pardon, Mother, but I wish to see the lady immediately.  Can I do so?”

“The dear sister Theresa is at present making her retreat, preparatory to taking the black veil.”

“The what!” exclaimed Cloudy, with as much horror as if it had been the “black dose” she was going to take.

“The black veil—­and so she cannot be seen.”

“Madam, I have a very pressing form of invitation here, which people are not very apt to disregard.  Did you ever hear of a subpoena, dear Mother?”

The good woman never had, but she thought it evidently something “uncanny,” for she said, “I will send for the Abbess;” and she beckoned to a nun within, and sent her on the errand—­and soon the Abbess appeared, and Cloudy made known the object of his visit.

“Go into the parlor, sir, and Sister Theresa will attend you,” said that lady.

And Cloudy turned to a side door on his right hand, and went into the little receiving-room, three sides of which were like other rooms, but the fourth side was a grating instead of a wall.  Behind this grating appeared Jacquelina—­so white and thin with confinement, fasting and vigil, and so disguised by her nun’s dress as to be unrecognizable to any but a lover’s eyes:  with her was the Abbess.

Cloudy went up to the grating.  Jacquelina put her hand through, and spoke a kind greeting; but Cloudy glanced at the Abbess, looked reproachfully at Jacquelina, and then turning to the former, said: 

“Madam, I wish to say a few words in confidence to my cousin here.  Can I be permitted to do so?”