imaginary world into the real. Speak to me at present as your director;
and mind, you must be serious now, and call things by their right
names."

Upon this Kate took a seat, and told her story, and showed him the
difficulty she was in.

She then reminded him, that, notwithstanding her unfortunate itch for
the seven deadly sins, she was a good Catholic, a zealous daughter of
the Church; and she let him know her desire to retire from both lovers
into a convent, and so, freed from the world and its temptations, yield
up her soul entire to celestial peace and divine contemplation.

"Not so fast," said the priest. "Even zeal is nought without obedience.
If you could serve the Church better than by going into a convent, would
you be wilful?"

"Oh, no, Father! But how can I serve the Church better than by
renouncing the world?"

"Perhaps by remaining in the world, as she herself does,--and by making
converts to the faith. You could hardly serve her worse than by going
into a convent: for our convents are poor, and you have no means; you
would be a charge. No, daughter, we want no poor nuns; we have enough of
them. If you are, as I think, a true and zealous daughter of the Church,
you must marry, and instil the true faith, with all a mother's art, a
mother's tenderness, into your children. Then the heir to your husband's
estates will be a Catholic, and so the true faith get rooted in the
soil."

"Alas!" said Catharine, "are we to look but to the worldly interests of
the Church?"

"They are inseparable from her spiritual interests here on earth: our
souls are not more bound to our bodies."

Catharine was deeply mortified.

"So the Church rejects me because I am poor," said she, with a sigh.

"The Church rejects you not, but only the Convent. No place is less fit
for you. You have a high spirit, and high religious sentiments: both
would be mortified and shocked in a nunnery. Think you that
convent-walls can shut out temptation? I know them better than you: they
are strongholds of vanity, folly, tittle-tattle, and all the meanest
vices of your sex. Nay, I forbid you to think of it: show me now your
faith by your obedience."

"You are harsh to me, Father," said Catharine, piteously.

"I am firm. You are one that needs a tight hand, Mistress. Come, now,
humility and obedience, these are the Christian graces that best become
your youth. Say, can the Church, through me, its minister, count on
these from you? or" (sudd