the smallpox after she was widowed,
whereon, as her face was seamed by this same disease, so that she had
no hope of another husband, as her neighbours said, or because her heart
was broken, as she said, she entered into religion.

Now she constituted herself Cicely's chief attendant, and although that
lady was quite well and strong, persecuted her with advice and with
noxious mixtures which she brewed, till Emlyn, descending on her like
a storm, hunted her from the room and cast her medicines through the
window.

That these sisters should be thus interested in so small a matter was
not, indeed, wonderful, seeing that if their lives had been secluded
before, since the Lady Cicely came amongst them they were ten times more
so. Soon they discovered that she and her servant, Emlyn Stower, were,
in fact, prisoners, which meant that they, her hostesses, were prisoners
also. None were allowed to enter the Nunnery save the silent old monk
who confessed them and celebrated the Mass, nor, by an order of the
Abbot, were they suffered to go abroad upon any business whatsoever.

For the rest, as their only means of communication with those who dwelt
beyond was the surly gardener, who was deaf and set there to spy on
them, little news ever reached them. They were almost dead to the world,
which, had they known it, was busy enough just then with matters that
concerned them and all other religious houses.

At length one day, when Cicely and Emlyn were seated in the garden
beneath a flowering hawthorn-tree--for now June had come and with it
warm weather--of a sudden Sister Bridget hurried up saying that the
Abbot of Blossholme desired their presence. At this tidings Cicely
turned faint, and Emlyn rated Bridget, asking if her few wits had left
her, or if she thought that name was so pleasant to her mistress that
she should suddenly bawl it in her ear.

Thereon the poor old soul, who was not too strong-brained and much
afraid of Emlyn since she had thrown her medicines out of the window,
began to weep, protesting that she had meant no harm, till Cicely,
recovering, soothed her and sent her back to say that she would wait
upon his lordship.

"Are you afraid of him, Mistress?" asked Emlyn, as they prepared to
follow.

"A little, Nurse. He has shown himself a man to be afraid of, has he
not? My father and my husband are in his net, and will he spare the last
fish in the pool--a very narrow pool?" and she glanced at the high walls
a