with Walkirk's intervention. It would be wise to take
the result as a matter of course.

As the clock struck nine, she and Sister Sarah entered the anteroom, and
the latter advanced to the grating and looked into my study, peering
from side to side. I did not like this sister's face; she looked as if
she had grown unpleasantly plump on watered milk.

"Is it necessary," she asked, "that you should smoke tobacco during your
working hours?"

"I never do it," I replied indignantly,--"never!"

"Several times," she said, "I have thought I perceived the smell of
tobacco smoke in this sister's garments."

"You are utterly mistaken!" I exclaimed. "During the hours of work these
rooms are perfectly free from anything of the sort."

She gave a little grunt and departed, and when she had locked the door I
could not restrain a slight ejaculation of annoyance.

"You must not mind Sister Sarah," said the sweet voice of my nun behind
the barricade of her bonnet; "she is as mad as hops this morning."

"What is the matter with her?" I asked, my angry feelings disappearing
in an instant.

"She and Mother Anastasia have had a long discussion about the message
you sent in regard to my keeping on with the story. Sister Sarah is very
much opposed to my doing your writing at all."

"Well, as she is not the head of your House, I suppose we need not
trouble ourselves about that," I replied. "But how does the arrangement
suit you? Are you satisfied to continue to write my little story?"

"Satisfied!" she said. "I am perfectly delighted;" and as she spoke she
turned toward me, her eyes sparkling, and her face lighted by the most
entrancing smile I ever beheld on the countenance of woman. "This is a
thousand times more interesting than anything you have done yet,
although I liked the rest very much. Of course I stopped when I supposed
it was against our rules to continue; but now that I know it is all
right I am--But no matter; let us go on with it. This is what I last
wrote," and she read: "'Tomaso and the pretty Lucilla now seated
themselves on the rock, by a little spring. He was trying to look into
her lovely blue eyes, which were slightly turned away from him and
veiled by their long lashes. There was something he must say to her, and
he felt he could wait no longer. Gently he took the little hand which
lay nearest him, and'--There is where I stopped," she said; and then,
her face still bright, but with the smile succeeded by an a