is leave; upon which the
abbess immediately set about her task of conversion. The first thing
she did was to order some dried sweetmeats--not a bad beginning, as they
were palatable; but as she happened to be very ignorant, and
unaccustomed to theological disputes, her subsequent arguments did not
go down as well as the fruit. After a rambling discourse of about an
hour, the old lady felt tired, and felt as if she had done wonders.
Amine was then introduced to the nuns, most of whom were young, and all
of good family. Her dormitory was shown to her; and expressing a wish
to be alone, she was followed into her chamber by only sixteen of them,
which was about as many as the chamber could well hold.

We must pass over the two months during which Amine remained in the
convent. Father Mathias had taken every step to ascertain if her
husband had been saved upon any of the islands which were under the
Portuguese dominions, but could gain no information. Amine was soon
weary of the convent; she was persecuted by the harangues of the old
abbess, but more disgusted at the conduct and conversation of the nuns.
They all had secrets to confide to her--secrets which had been confided
to the whole convent before: such secrets, such stories, so different
from Amine's chaste ideas--such impurity of thought--that Amine was
disgusted at them. But how could it be otherwise? The poor creatures
had been taken from the world in the full bloom of youth, under a
ripening sun, and had been immured in this unnatural manner to gratify
the avarice and pride of their families. Its inmates being wholly
composed of the best families, the rules of this convent were not so
strict as others; licences were given--greater licences were taken--and
Amine, to her surprise, found that in this society, devoted to Heaven,
there were exhibited more of the bad passions of human nature than she
had before met with. Constantly watched, never allowed a moment to
herself, her existence became unbearable; and, after three months, she
requested Father Mathias would find her some other place of refuge,
telling him frankly that her residence in that place was not very likely
to assist her conversion to the tenets of his faith. Father Mathias
fully comprehended her, but replied, "I have no means."

"Here are means," replied Amine, taking the diamond ring from her
finger. "This is worth eight hundred ducats in our country; here, I
know not how much."

Father M