s,
expecting to see Herr Meyer, after his horses had had a good gallop,
return with the other curiosities he had said he possessed. They looked
and looked, but they looked in vain. At last they came to the
conclusion that some accident had happened. For this they were very
sorry, as they all agreed that a more pleasant-spoken, liberal merchant
they had never seen. The opinions, however, of the lady abbess and some
of the elder sisters were somewhat modified, when at vespers, as all the
nuns were assembled, Sister Ava, and another young and pretty nun, her
great friend, Sister Beatrice, were missing. They were not in their
cells. The whole convent was searched; they were not to be found.
Never had there been such a commotion among the authorities and elder
sisters, though most of the young ones took the matter very quietly, and
did not search for what they knew well was not to be found. Remembering
the warning she had received, the lady abbess had a strong suspicion
that Eric Lindburg was at the bottom of the matter. This was only the
beginning of her troubles. Somehow or other, fresh heretical books were
introduced into the convent, and the young nuns had so completely
mastered the contents of those of which they had been deprived that they
were able to discuss them and explain them to the elder sisters. Even
the abbess herself could not answer many of their arguments which they
boldly put forth, nor indeed could the father confessor, nor the other
visiting priests. Of the last one heartily agreed with them, and the
others boldly acknowledged that there was a great deal of truth in what
they said. Gaining confidence, nine young ladies at last united to
support each other, and positively refused to attend mass or any
services when adoration was paid to the Virgin Mary or to the saints,
and demanded that as their vows were taken in ignorance, and that as
they were directly contrary to the Gospel, they should be released from
them, and allowed to return into the world to fulfil their duties as
virtuous women and citizens.

Those in authority were astonished and utterly confounded, and hesitated
to take any harsh measures. Public opinion they well knew outside the
convent walls ran pretty strongly in favour of the nuns' opinions. As
their friends would not receive them at home, the young ladies resolved
to repair in a body to some respectable place with order and decency.
Through some means their resolution wa