ave been free from such like temptations."

"Is it a temptation?" replied Margery. "Meseemeth, holy mother, that
there be temptations as many in the cloister as in the world, only they
be to divers sins: and I misdoubt that I should have temptation in the
cloister, to the full as much as here."

"I cry you mercy, fair sister!" said the Prioress, with an air of
superiority. "We have no temptations in our blessed retreat. Our rule
saveth us, and our seclusion from the vanity of the world--and I pray
you, what other evil can assail a veiled nun?"

Margery glanced at the heavy gold chain round the Prioress's neck, the
multifarious rings on her fingers, and the costly jewels in her girdle,
and rather doubted her testimony as to the utter absence of vanity in a
veiled nun; but she contented herself with saying, "I trow, holy mother,
that ye carry with you evil hearts into your cloister, as have all men
without; and an evil heart within, and the devil without, need not
outward matters whereon to form temptation. At least, I speak by mine
own."

The Prioress looked rather shocked. "The evil heart," answered she, "is
governed and kept down in us by our mortifications, our almsgivings, our
penances, our prayers, and divers other holy exercises."

"Ah, holy mother," said Margery, looking up, "can ye keep down by such
means your evil hearts! I trow mine needeth more than that!"

"What mean you, fair sister?" inquired the Prioress.

"Nought less," replied Margery, "than the blood of the Lamb slain, and
the grace of Christ risen, have I yet found, that would avail to keep
down an evil heart!"

"Of force, fair sister, of force!" said the Prioress, coldly, "that is
as well as said."

"Then I pray you, why said you it not?"

The Prioress rose. "I trust, fair sister," said she, without giving any
reply to Margery's home question, "that you may see your error ere it be
full late so to do."

"I trust," said Margery, as she followed her sister-in-law to the door,
"that God will keep me in the true faith, whatsoever that be."

"Amen!" said the Prioress, her long black robe sweeping the steps as she
mounted her litter.

"Is she gone?" lisped little Geoffrey, when his mother returned.
"Deff'y so glad! Deff'y don't like her!"

That evening Margery received a message from her husband, bidding her
meet him and Abbot Bilson in the oaken chamber, and bring the book with
her. She took the book from the table on which Lord M