The Argosy — page 54: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

44 Ten Years a Nun. [THE Ancosy. nothing, for I knew he would be afraid of meddling in such a matter. From his office I went to the hotel, where I arranged for leaving my luggage for a short time; first making up a bundle of clothes, which ‘Cathernne would want zf she came outof the convent. Then I hired the :sole conveyance I could procure, a sort of covered cart, with no door at the back, but a seat behind the driver, to which we had to climb over as well as we could. This char-d-banc I hired for the day, and bidding ‘the driver go as far as the corner of the convent street, I told him to wait there; resolying to keep the convent doors in view until six -o’clock, after which they never opened on any account. It was one of the most wearisome and anxious days I ever passed. Even the polite French were curious, and showered questions upon the driver of the char-a-banc, to which his general reply was, “It is an Englishwoman,” with a grimace more eloquent than words. There were two entrances to the convent—one for ordinary use, the other an ‘arched, thick, black door, opened only on great occasions; as they were situated on different sides of the building, I was obliged to pace to and fro, to keep watch upon both. But at evening, near six o’clock, I saw the black door of ceremony opened narrowly, and a poor creature thrust out into the profane and unsheltered streets, as 1f against her will, for she made a faint gesture of seeking re-admission, and then cowered down against the closed portal, as if she was some poor dove flung out of her nest. I ran to her, for it was Sister Catherine! With great trouble I lifted her, more dead than alive, into the back ‘of my cart, and bade the driver take us to a village about seven miles ‘distant, which I knew only as being the residence of one of our boarders, for I felt that 1t would be foolish and cruel to keep Sister Catherine in this town, where her story would ooze out in some way or another. I had posted a letter to Pierre in a letter-box near the ‘convent, imploring him to come to us immediately at this village. I . Shall never forget that mde. The conveyance either had no springs or broken ones ; and the seat in the back was so high, that only our toes could reach the floor. Added to this the roads were rough, and up _and down hill, and the horse had an uneasy tread. Catherine, who had had no carnage exercise for sixteen years, was restored to her senses and distracted from her terrors by the unusual motion. The char-a-banc conveyed us to the village auberge, and I tooka room there for the night, which had already closed in. My nun was as helpless and frightened as a child, and obeyed me like one. As soon as we were fairly alone in our chamber, she fell upon her knees, and began telling her beads, or rather would have done so, had not her rosary been taken away from her, with her other insignia of sisterhood ; upon the remembrance of which she fell into’a profound swoon, and after recovering from it spent the rest of the night in speechless tears. I did not feel happy myself. I reflected that my fnends did not know -\ we “ IN TN (GO) \ - ECOMICOOOlXS