As soon as the Prioress left them, Sister Cecilia told Evelyn that she would have to work very hard indeed, for it was the Prioress’s whim not to use the ordinary altar cloths with an embroidered hem, but always cloths on which lace frontals were lightly tacked; and Evelyn was warned that the sewing on of the lace, without creasing the white linen, required great care; and the spilling of a little wax could not be passed over, the cloth would have to go to the wash.

It was as she said; they had to work hard, and they were always behindhand with their work.  She learned from Cecilia that, apart from the canonical directions for Divine Service, there existed an unwritten code for pious observances—­some saints were honoured by having their banner exhibited during the octave of the feast, while others were allowed little temporary altars on which some relic could be exposed.  The Sisters themselves were often mistaken regarding what had been done on previous anniversaries; but the Prioress’s memory was unfailing, and one of the strictest rules of the house was that the sacristan took orders from none but the Prioress.  And when a discussion arose between Cecilia and Evelyn, one of them went to the Prioress to ask her to say which was right.

Sister Cecilia was stupid and slow, and very soon Evelyn had absorbed most of the work of the sacristy doing it as she pleased, until one day, the Prioress coming in to see what progress had been made, found St. Joseph’s altar stripped, save for a single pair of candlesticks and two flower vases filled with artificial flowers.  Evelyn was admonished, but she dared to answer that she was not interested in St. Joseph, though, of course, he was a worthy man.

“My dear Teresa, I cannot allow you to speak in this way of St. Joseph; he is one of the patrons of the convent.  Nor can I allow his altar to be robbed in this fashion.  Have you not thought that we are looking forward to the time when you should be one of us?”

Behind them stood Sister Cecilia, overcome with astonishment that a mere novice should dare to speak to the Prioress on terms of equality.  When the Prioress left the room she said: 

“You didn’t answer the Prioress just now when she asked if you had forgotten that you were soon to become one of us.”

“How could I answer...  I don’t know.”

This answer seemed to exhaust Sister Cecilia’s interest in the question, and, handing Evelyn two more candles, she asked, “Do you want me any more?”

On Evelyn saying she did not, she said: 

“Well, then, I may go and meditate in the chapel.”