But it might be hoped that the Bishop would be free from the crimes of
which I have declared so many priests to have been guilty. I am far
from entertaining such charitable opinions of him; and I had good
reasons, after a time.
I was often required to sleep on a sofa, in the room of the present
Superior, as I may have already mentioned.
One night, not long after I was first introduced there, for that
purpose, and within the first twelve months of my wearing the veil,
having retired as usual, at about half-past nine, not long after we had
got into bed, the alarm-bell from without, which hangs over the
Superior's bed, was rung. She told me to see who was there; and going
down, I heard the signal given, which I have before mentioned, a
peculiar kind of hissing sound made through the teeth. I answered with
a low, "Hum-hum;" and then opened the door. It was Bishop Lartigue, the
present Bishop of Montreal. He said to me, "Are you a Novice or a
Received?" meaning a Received nun. I answered a "Received."
He then requested me to conduct him to the Superior's room, which I
did. He went to the bed, drew the curtains behind him, and I lay down
again upon the sofa, until morning, when the Superior called me, at an
early hour, about daylight, and directed me to show him the door, to
which I conducted him, and he took his departure.
I continued to visit the cellar frequently, to carry up coal for the
fires, without anything more than a general impression that there were
two nuns, somewhere imprisoned in it. One day while there on my usual
errand, I saw a nun standing on the right of the cellar, in front of
one of the cell doors I had before observed; she was apparently engaged
with something within. This attracted my attention. The door appeared
to close in a small recess, and was fastened with a stout iron bolt on
the outside, the end of which was secured by being let into a hole in
the stone-work which formed the posts. The door, which was of wood, was
sank a few inches beyond the stone-work, rose and formed an arch
overhead. Above the bolt was a window supplied with a fine grating,
which swung open, a small bolt having been removed from it, on the
outside. The nun I had observed seemed to be whispering with some
person within, through the little window: but I hastened to get my
coal, and left the cellar, presuming that was the prison. When I
visited the place again, being alone, I ventured to the spot,
determined to learn the truth, presuming that the imprisoned nuns, of
whom the Superior had told me on my admission, were confined there. I
spoke at the window where I had seen the nun standing, and heard a
voice reply in a whisper. The aperture was so small, and the place so
dark, that I could see nobody; but I learnt that a poor wretch was
confined there a prisoner. I feared that I might be discovered, and
after a few words, which I thought could do no harm, I withdrew.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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