me from Margaret's
own pen. Whether he was Mary Heroet's brother or not, it is
at least probable that he was her relative.-B. J. and L.

He went forthwith to the convent, where he met with the wonted excuses,
being told that for three years his sister had not stirred from her bed.
But this did not satisfy him, and he swore that, if he did not see
her, he would climb over the walls and force his way into the convent.
Thereupon, being in great fear, they brought his sister to him at the
grating, though the Abbess stood so near that she could not tell her
brother aught that was not heard. But she had prudently set down in
writing all that I have told you, together with a thousand others of the
Prior's devices to deceive her, which 'twould take too long to relate.

Yet I must not omit to mention that at the time when her aunt was
Abbess, the Prior, thinking that his ugliness was the cause of her
refusal, had caused Sister Marie to be tempted by a handsome young monk,
in the hope that if she yielded to this man through love, he himself
might afterwards obtain her through fear. The young monk aforesaid spoke
to her in a garden with gestures too shameful to be mentioned, whereat
the poor maiden ran to the Abbess, who was talking with the Prior, and
cried out--

"Mother, they are not monks, but devils, who visit us here!"

Thereupon the Prior, in great fear of discovery, began to laugh, and
said--

"Assuredly, mother, Sister Marie is right."

Then, taking Sister Marie by the hand, he said to her in presence of the
Abbess--

"I had heard that Sister Marie spoke very well, and so constantly that
she was deemed to be worldly-minded. For this reason I constrained
myself, contrary to my natural inclination, to speak to her in the way
that worldly men speak to women--at least in books, for in point
of experience I am as ignorant as I was on the day when I was born.
Thinking, however, that only my years and ugliness led her to discourse
in so virtuous a fashion, I commanded my young monk to speak to her as
I myself had done, and, as you see, she has virtuously resisted him.
So highly, therefore, do I think of her prudence and virtue, that
henceforward she shall rank next after you and shall be Mistress of the
Novices, to the intent that her excellent disposition may ever increase
in virtue."

This act, with many others, was done by this worthy monk during the
three years that he was in love with the nun. She, howev