The Argosy — page 375: what you’re looking at

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

354 The Village Blacksmith. habit and put on the only dress the convent could offer her—a plain black one; which in Vera’s private opinion must have come out of the ark. However, she meekly donned it and smiled when the Prioress said it was a little penance for having worn the habit. Nor did she raise any objection to the black lace veil the mother pinned on her head and told her she must always wear during her stay in the convent. ‘To-morrow we will send for a dressmaker and you shall. order yourself a dress. I am afraid you will find it rather dull, for we have no other visitors just now, but we will try to make you comfortable.” “T don’t think I shall mind the dulness. May I go where I like inside the convent ?” asked Vera. ‘No; you can’t come inside the enclosure without leave from the Bishop ; the visitors’ rooms are not in the enclosed part ; but you may go all over the garden. And we are close to you at night; so you need not be nervous.” **T am not at all nervous; but you will let me have my meals with you, won't you?” said Vera, whose ignorance of convent life was very great. “My dear child, no; we allow no one except ourselves or other religious in our refectory ; but I will give you leave to come into my room at recreation and to the seculars’ part of the chapel whenever you like.” ‘‘ But I shan’t see any of the nuns there, shall I?” said Vera. “Not very well. Can you sing?” *°Oh, yes; and I can play the organ too.” “Then you shall come into the organ-loft; you will see there as well or better than if you were in the choir; and if you like, you may help us in our music. The organist will be delighted if you will some- times take her place.” “Oh! I should love it. It is so kind of you to take mein. If I can be of any use I shall be so pleased. And I will try to be very good,” said Vera sweetly. The nun smiled and kissed her and thought how beautiful she was. And then she could not resist the temptation to pin some roses from a vase in the room, as fresh and sweet and blooming as Vera herself, on to her dress. _ “Would you like to come into the chapel now? Your supper won't be ready just yet, and we shall be in time for the ‘ Salve.’” _ Vera assented to this and presently found herself in the organ-loft looking down on the beautiful chapel, as the setting sun poured through the coloured windows casting gleams of coloured light across the sanctuary and over the black veils of the white-robed nuns. At the bottom of the chapel stood a large marble angel holding a stoup of holy water, and as Vera looked down upon it the angel’s wings seemed to glimmer with irridescent light like an opal as a ray of sun- light which pierced a coloured window rested for a moment upon Comicbooks.com|