ght to search every convent in France, Italy, Spain, Sicily,
and America. Love burned more brightly for every vain search. Again and
again I made long journeys with a false hope; I have wasted my life and
the heaviest throbbings of my heart in vain under many a dark convent
wall. I am not speaking of a faithfulness that knows no bounds, for what
is it?--nothing compared with the infinite longings of my love. If your
remorse long ago was sincere, you ought not to hesitate to follow me
today."

"You forget that I am not free."

"The Duke is dead," he answered quickly.

Sister Theresa flushed red.

"May heaven be open to him!" she cried with a quick rush of feeling. "He
was generous to me.--But I did not mean such ties; it was one of my sins
that I was ready to break them all without scruple--for you."

"Are you speaking of your vows?" the General asked, frowning. "I did not
think that anything weighed heavier with your heart than love. But do
not think twice of it, Antoinette; the Holy Father himself shall absolve
you of your oath. I will surely go to Rome, I will entreat all the
powers of earth; if God could come down from heaven, I would----"

"Do not blaspheme."

"So do not fear the anger of God. Ah! I would far rather hear that
you would leave your prison for me; that this very night you would let
yourself down into a boat at the foot of the cliffs. And we would go
away to be happy somewhere at the world's end, I know not where. And
with me at your side, you should come back to life and health under the
wings of love."

"You must not talk like this," said Sister Theresa; "you do not know
what you are to me now. I love you far better than I ever loved you
before. Every day I pray for you; I see you with other eyes. Armand, if
you but knew the happiness of giving yourself up, without shame, to a
pure friendship which God watches over! You do not know what joy it is
to me to pray for heaven's blessing on you. I never pray for myself: God
will do with me according to His will; but, at the price of my soul, I
wish I could be sure that you are happy here on earth, and that you
will be happy hereafter throughout all ages. My eternal life is all that
trouble has left me to offer up to you. I am old now with weeping; I am
neither young nor fair; and in any case, you could not respect the
nun who became a wife; no love, not even motherhood, could give me
absolution.... What can you say to outweigh the uncounted thought