knew that the mother of the young lady, who was
very strict in her religious duties, confessed at that chair every
Friday; I took possession of it, with the hopes that I should find out
some means of prosecuting my revenge. The young lady also confessed at
the same chair, when she did come, which was but seldom. Since the
death of her lover, she had never made her appearance.

As I anticipated, the mother came, and after having run over a string of
peccadilloes, for which I ordered a slight penance, I inquired, through
the punctured communication on the side of the confessional chair,
whether she had not children, to which she answered in the affirmative.
I then asked, when her daughter had confessed last. She mentioned a
long date, and I commenced a serious expostulation upon the neglect of
parents, desiring that her daughter might be brought to confess, or
otherwise I should be obliged to inflict a penance of some hundred
Pater-Nosters and Ave-Marias upon herself, for not attending to her
parental duties. The old lady, who had no wish to submit to her own
penance, promised to bring her daughter the next day, and she was true
to her word. Donna Sophia appeared to come very unwillingly. As soon
as she had taken her seat by the confessional chair, she made a
confession of a hundred little nothings, and having finished her
catalogue, stopped as if waiting for absolution.

"Have you made no reservation?" inquired I, in the low muttering tone
which is used at the confessional; for although neither party can
distinguish the person of the other, I did not wish her to recognise my
voice.

"Everything," replied she, in a faint whisper.

"My daughter," replied I, "by your trembling answer, I know that you are
deceiving yourself and me. I am an old man, and have been too many
years in this chair, not to ascertain by the answers which I receive,
whether the conscience is unloaded. Yours, I am convinced, has
something pressing heavily upon it; something for which you would fain
have absolution, but which you are ashamed to reveal. If not a
principal, you have been a party to crime; and never shall you have
absolution until you have made a full confession." Her heart swelled
with emotion, she attempted to speak, and burst into tears. "These are
harbingers of good," observed I; "I am now convinced that my supposition
was correct: pour out your soul in tribulation, and receive that comfort
which I am empowered to bestow