that he might have leave to bid Pauline farewell, promising
that he would afterwards speak to her no more, and upon his request
being granted, as soon as they were together he spoke to her as
follows:--

"Heaven and earth are both against us, Pauline, and hinder us not only
from marriage but even from having sight and speech of one another. And
by laying on us this cruel command, our master and mistress may well
boast of having with one word broken two hearts, whose bodies, perforce,
must henceforth languish; and by this they show that they have never
known love or pity, and although I know that they desire to marry each
of us honourably and to worldly advantage,--ignorant as they are that
contentment is the only true wealth,--yet have they so afflicted and
angered me that never more can I do them loyal service. I feel sure that
had I never spoken of marriage they would not have shown themselves so
scrupulous as to forbid me from speaking to you; but I would have you
know that, having loved you with a pure and honourable love, and wooed
you for what I would fain defend against all others, I would rather die
than change my purpose now to your dishonour. And since, if I continued
to see you, I could not accomplish so harsh a penance as to restrain
myself from speech, whilst, if being here I saw you not, my heart,
unable to remain void, would fill with such despair as must end in woe,
I have resolved, and that long since, to become a monk. I know, indeed,
full well that men of all conditions may be saved, but would gladly have
more leisure for contemplating the Divine goodness, which will, I trust,
forgive me the errors of my youth, and so change my heart that it may
love spiritual things as truly as hitherto it has loved temporal things.
And if God grant me grace to win His grace, my sole care shall be to
pray to Him without ceasing for you; and I entreat you, by the true and
loyal love that has been betwixt us both, that you will remember me
in your prayers, and beseech Our Lord to grant me as full a measure
of steadfastness when I see you no more, as he has given me of joy
in beholding you. Finally, I have all my life hoped to have of you in
wedlock that which honour and conscience allow, and with this hope have
been content; but now that I have lost it and can never have you
to wife, I pray you at least, in bidding me farewell, treat me as a
brother, and suffer me to kiss you."

When the hapless Pauline, who had alwa