, it shall be such as will become a quakeress if you wish it; I
will lose no time about it," said Mr Franklin, hurrying out of the
room.

"Why, he has gone without taking anything to eat; he must be almost
starving," observed the general. "I know that I am; and, my dear, I am
afraid that you must be hungry, unless you took a late luncheon."

"We had dinner at ten, though I took but little," answered Clara; "but
we are accustomed to go a long time without food."

"Your looks tell me that, my dear," exclaimed the general, ringing the
bell. "We must take more care of you in future than you have received
lately. I never knew starving enable a person the better to go through
the duties of life."

The waiter entered, and the general ordered luncheon to be brought up at
once, in a tone which showed that he intended to be obeyed, adding, "Let
there be as many delicacies as your cook can provide off-hand."

The lawyer had not returned when luncheon was placed on the table.
"Come, my dear, I want to see you do justice to some of these nice
things," said the general.

Poor Clara hesitated; it was a fast-day in the convent--could she at
once transgress the rule? She was going to take simply some bread and
preserve, but the general placed a cutlet on her plate. "I must insist
on your eating that, and taking a glass or two of good wine to give you
strength for your journey to-morrow," he said. Clara had to explain her
difficulty. "I know of no command of the Lord to fast," he observed,
"though He stigmatised vain fasts and oblations. The apostles nowhere
command it, and the early Christians, until error crept in among them,
did not consider fasting a religious duty. In your case let me assure
you that it would be a sin to fast when you require your strength
restored. You have had much mental trial, and will have more to go
through. The mind suffers with the body, and it is your duty to
strengthen both. Come, come, eat up the cutlet, and take this glass of
sherry."

Clara obeyed, and in a wonderfully short time began to see matters in a
brighter light. The general did not fail to explain that one of the
great objects of the system from which he wished to emancipate her was
that of weakening the minds of those it got into its toils to keep them
in subjection. "Such was their aim in insisting on confession, on
fasting, and on vigils. What is even a strong man fit for, who is
deprived of his sleep and half-starved?