ifficulty will be to communicate with her, for the nuns are allowed to
receive no letters till they are first seen by the Lady Superior. It
would be as well first to ascertain whether the young lady desires of
her own free will to leave the convent; she has had some experience of
it, and may by this time perhaps have repented of the step she has
taken. My belief is that she has been deceived and cajoled. I know
well of what those Ritualists are capable, influenced by what they
believe the best of motives, and I strongly suspect that there is some
misunderstanding between her and your son, brought about, I say without
hesitation, by their means. Either her letters have not been forwarded
to him, or his have not been received by her--perhaps the entire
correspondence has been intercepted--I will not go farther than that. I
say this as I wish to plead for your ward, at whose conduct you
naturally feel deeply grieved."

"Poor girl! notwithstanding all the pain and suffering she has caused my
son, I am not angry with her," said the general; "my indignation is
directed against the system and persons by whom she has been deceived.
I suspect as you do with regard to the correspondence between her and my
son, for I am very sure she would not have given him up without
assigning any reason, or answering his letters."

"Our first object must be to open a free communication with her; letters
sent in the ordinary way are sure to be read by the Lady Superior, and
the answers dictated by her, so that we shall not be wiser than at
first," remarked Mr Franklin.

"I must try that simple plan, however, and if it fails, resort to
stronger measures," observed the general. "I will go to Staughton
myself, and write to say that, as her guardian, I wish to have a private
interview with her on a matter of importance, and to beg that I may be
allowed to call on her at the convent, or that she will come and see me
at my hotel."

"I am afraid that means would be taken to prevent her from seeing you
alone," observed Mr Franklin.

"What course do you then advise?" asked the general.

"We must take legal proceedings, and they are very certain to have their
due effect, as the Lady Superior would be exceedingly loth to have the
internal arrangements of her convent made public, and she is well aware
that if she resists she will run the risk of that being the case. I
have already had something to do with her ladyship, as well as with two
or t