The door on the landing was ajar, and inside the hall they saw a tall
old monk, his bare feet in sandals, his bald head bowed over his clasped
hands, his lips moving in prayer. When he saw the girl and the old
servant, he made way for them to pass, and without interrupting his
prayers, motioned them to enter. His gesture was so imperious that
without a word they tip-toed in past him. Isabelle, her eyes wide, and
not as red-faced as usual, was standing uncertainly in the door of the
salon, her apron up to her lips, looking scared, "Soeur Ste. Lucie has
gone in to Madame," she said to Jeanne in a whisper. "She said you and
Mademoiselle were to go to Mademoiselle's room and wait until she came."
Jeanne inquired wildly with a silent jerk of the head who in the world
was the monk who stood praying before Madame's closed door; and Isabelle
answered with a desperate rolling of her eyes that she had no more idea
of that than Jeanne.
They all went down the corridor on tip-toes, to Marise's room, where
automatically Marise took off her hat and coat. She saw to her amazement
that Jeanne had dropped down on the crimson quilt on the bed. Nothing
that had happened had startled Marise so much as to see this.
Almost at once Soeur Ste. Lucie entered, and coming up to Marise put her
arms around her and kissed her very tenderly. Then she turned and
motioned the two servants out of the room, "I must speak to Mlle. Marise
alone," she said. Isabelle was only too glad to go, but Jeanne looked
furious and stood for a moment with darkened face, lowering down on the
nun, as if she were on the point of defying her. But she finally thought
better of it, and followed Isabelle out.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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