Sister Regina who, ever since the morning, had followed the prioress round like a little dog which has displeased his master and wishes to make amends, darted away, and in a minute returned with a glass of fair water and a smelling bottle. The prioress took the water and thanked her; whereat Regina burst out blubbering like a great schoolboy, and retired into a corner to sob and sniff at her ease. "'Were there not ten cleansed, but where are the nine?'" said our mother, recovering herself, and smiling sadly. "'There are not found that returned again to give God praise, save this stranger.' I shall most certainly advise Sister Elizabeth to accept your hospitality. As for myself, I am provided for, since my brother will gladly give me a home, and also a shelter to this young lady till she can hear from her friends. I will call the sister." Sister Sacristine had shut herself in her cell, after giving up her keys, and the prioress went herself to seek her, followed as before by Sister Regina. When she had departed, Dame Lee drew near to me, and said, in an awe-struck whisper: "Mistress, does the lady profess the new religion?" "No—at least I suppose not," I answered, surprised; "why should you think so?" "Because she repeated those words. They are from the English Bible." I remembered, all at once, the great Bible which had been sent down for the church, and which had been removed, as the prioress had said, to a place of safety. Was it possible she could have been reading it all this time? But this was no time to discuss so dangerous a subject, and besides, I wanted to talk of something else. There was that in Hester Lee's tone and accent which were strangely familiar—something which took me back to very early days, before I went to Peckham Hall. "What part of the country did you come from, dame?" I asked. "Me, my lamb, I be from Devon—up Clovelly way—I be, and so was my father, rest his soul. Ees, I be from Devon." "And so am I," I answered, feeling somehow as if I had found a friend, "though 'tis many a long year since I saw the place. My father owned Watcombe Farm." Dame Hester knew the farm, and was delighted to meet a countrywoman. In the midst of our colloquy, the prioress returned, followed by Sister Sacristine in the secular dress which had been provided for each of us, and very funny she looked in it. She carried a bundle in her hand. "Yes, I will go with you, Hester, since you are so good as to ask me," said she. "You were always a towardly child, and learned to do white seam quicker than any girl I ever saw. Yes, I will go, and as soon as you please; for I can't endure to see the way they are stripping the church." "We had best make our way home at once," said Dame Hester. "I have an easy, sure-footed donkey at the gate for the lady. And you, madam—"