covered. Ask your conscience."

I started. It is true, I should not care to do anything, but if it were
to happen--

"Don't give me your answer," continued the mother; "answer yourself, and
then ask yourself whether, if you returned to where you once were, you
wouldn't, on the morrow or the day after, wish to be away again. But
let me tell you one thing: whatever you determine on, do it thoroughly.
Don't write at all, and let the queen mourn you; for it's much easier
to grieve for the dead than for one who, though living, is lost; or
else, write to her honestly and frankly: 'Here I am.' As I said before,
whatever you do, let it be done thoroughly. O my child!" she added, "I
fear it will be with you as it was with the poor soul. Do you know the
story of the poor soul?"

"No."

"Then I'll tell it to you. There was once a young girl who, having gone
astray and died an early death, descended into hell; and there Saint
Peter could always hear her crying, from amidst the flames, 'Paul!
Paul!' in tones that were so heartrending that even the most wicked
demons couldn't find it in their hearts to mock at her. So one day
Saint Peter went up to the gates of hell and inquired: 'My dear child,
why are you always crying "Paul! Paul!" in such a pitiful voice?' and
the girl replied: 'Ah, dear Saint Peter, what are all of hell's
torments? To me, they're nothing. Paul is worse off than I am. How will
he endure life without me? I only ask for one thing; let me return to
the earth once more; only for a moment, so that I may see how he's
getting on, and I'll be willing to remain in hell a hundred years
longer."

"'A hundred years!' said St. Peter. 'Consider, my child; a hundred
years is a long time.'

"'Not to me. Oh, I implore you to let me see my Paul once more! After
that, I'll certainly be quiet and submit patiently to everything.'

"Saint Peter resisted for a long while, but the poor soul gave him no
peace, and at last he said: 'Well, you may go, for all I care; but
you'll be sorry for it.'

"And so the poor soul returned to the earth, in order to see her
beloved Paul. And when she got there, and saw him feasting and enjoying
himself with others, she quietly went back to eternity and, shaking her
head sadly, said: 'Now I'll return to hell and repent.' And then Saint
Peter said to her: 'The hundred years you promised are forgiven you.
During the one minute you passed on earth, you suffered more than you
would have done in a