turn the politeness she treated him with.--Her age
exceeded not twenty-four; she was fair to an excess, had fine-turned
features, and an air which her ecclesiastic habit could not deprive of
its freedom; but the enchanting manner of her conversation, her wit,
and the gaiety that accompanied all she said, so much astonished and
transported him, that he cried out, without knowing that he did so,
'Good God!--is it possible a monastery can contain such charms!'--She
affected to treat the admiration he expressed, as no other than meer
bagatelle; but how serious a satisfaction she took in it, a very
little time discovered.

'A monastery,' said she, 'is not so frightful a solitude as you, being
a stranger to the manners of this country, have perhaps painted to
yourself:--I have companions in whom I believe you will find some
agreements.'--She then rung a bell, and ordered an attending nun, or
what they call a lay-sister, to call some of the sisterhood, whose
names she mentioned; and presently came two nuns, with a third lady in
a different habit; the least handsome of these might have passed for a
beauty, but she that was the most so I shall call Elgidia; she was
sister to the abbess, but wanted a good many of her years, and being
intended for a monastic life by their parents, had been sent there as
a pensioner, till she should be prevailed upon to take the veil.

The abbess, having learned from Natura that he was from England, told
them, in a few words, what she knew of him, and the motive of the
invitation she had made him; then desired they would entertain him
till her return, having some affair, which called her thence for a
small time.

As Elgidia appeared by her dress to be more a woman of this world than
her companions, he directed his discourse chiefly to her; but whether
it were that she had less gaiety in her temper, or that she was that
moment taken up with some very serious thought, Natura could not be
certain, but he found her much less communicative, than either of
those, whose profession seemed to exact greater reserve.

As Natura spoke French perfectly well, and delivered all he said with
a great deal of ease, they were very much pleased with his
conversation; and yet more so, when, at the return of the abbess, that
wit and spirit they before found in him, seemed to have gained an
additional vigour.

The truth is, the first sight of this beautiful abbess had very much
struck him; and a certain prepossessi