brothers; more
space appeared a necessity, and, much as she hated debt, in her strait
she made up her mind that she must borrow money in order to build fresh
dormitories, and, breaking her rule, accepted a rich boarder, who became
the cause of infinite trouble.

Just at this period the king's mother, who was in Paris, paid a visit to
the famous abbess, and inquired if she had nothing to ask for, as it was
her custom always to grant some favour on entering a convent for the
first time.

Angelique replied that she prayed her to implore the king's grace to
allow a fresh abbess to be chosen every three years, and leave being
granted, she and her sister Agnes, who was her coadjutor, instantly
resigned. She meant the change to be a safeguard, so that no one nun
should enjoy absolute power for long; but as regarded her own abbey it
was a great mistake, for she had a gift of ruling such as belonged to
few women, and often when a mean or spiteful sister was elected she
would wreak her ill-temper upon the late abbess, and impose all sorts of
absurd penances upon her, which Angelique always bore meekly.

* * * * *

During the years that followed Angelique not only had her four younger
sisters with her, Agnes, Anne, Marie, and Madeleine, but later her
mother and her widowed sister, madame le Maitre. They were all happy to
be together, though the rule of silence laid down by Angelique to
prevent gossip must have stood in the way of much that would have been
pleasant. By-and-by her nieces almost all entered the convent, and, what
is still more surprising, her brothers and several of her nephews, most
of them brilliant and successful men, one by one quitted the bar or the
army, and formed a little band known as the 'Recluses of Port Royal,'
who afterwards did useful work in draining and repairing the abbey 'in
the fields,' so that the nuns could go back to it.

And all this was owing to the example and influence of one little girl,
who had been thrust into a position for which she had certainly shown no
liking.

* * * * *

In the last twenty-five years of Angelique's life her religious views
underwent a change, and her confessor, St. Cyran, who shared them, was
imprisoned, on a charge of heresy, at Vincennes. Even as a young girl
she had left the chapel at Port Royal bare of ornaments, and later sold
the silver candlesticks which were a gift to the altar of Port Ro