benefit of others, and she knew full well that
she could not prevent it. If she could, she never would have had the
heart to interfere: for she always understood him, and felt with him that
something to take him out of the narrow circle of home-life was
indispensable to his happiness.

He read her thoughts, and they gave him pain; but he was not to be
diverted from his purpose. The man who would try to heal every suffering
brute was accustomed to see those whom he loved best grieve on his
account. Marriage, he would say, ought not to hinder a man in following
his soul's vocation; and he was fond of using this high-sounding name to
justify himself in his own and his wife's eyes, in doing things to which
he was prompted only by restlessness and unsatisfied energy. Without this
he would, no doubt, have done his best for the imperilled sisterhood, but
it added to his enjoyment of the grand and dangerous rescue.

The wretched fate of the hapless nuns, and the thought of losing them as
near neighbors, grieved the women deeply, and the men saw many tears
flow; at the same time they had the satisfaction of finding them all
three firmly and equally determined to venture all, and to bid these whom
they loved venture all, to hinder the success of a deed which filled them
with horror and disgust.

Joanna spoke not a word of demur when Rufinus said that he intended to
accompany the fugitives; and when, with beaming looks, he went on to
praise Orion's foresight and keen decisiveness, Paula flew to him proudly
and gladly, holding out both her hands. As for the young man, he felt as
though wings were growing from his shoulders, and this fateful evening
was one of the happiest of his life.

The superior had agreed to his scheme, and in some details had improved
upon it. Two lay sisters and one nun should remain behind. The two former
were to attend to the sick in the infirmary, to ring the bell and chant
the services as usual, that the escape of the rest might not be
suspected; and Joanna, Paula, and Pulcheria, were to assist them.

When, at a late hour, Orion was about to leave, Rufinus asked whether,
under these circumstances, it would be well to bring Mary to his house;
he himself doubted it. Joanna was of his opinion; Paula, on the contrary,
said that she believed it would be better to let the child run the risk
of a remote danger--hardly to be called danger, than to leave her to pine
away body and soul in her old home. Pulcheri