introduce her companions to each other.

The three young persons thus named bowed and smiled, and pressed palms,
and then sat back in their seats, while the elder Sister, Josephine,
continued:

"We have come up from Fontevrau, and are now going straight on to our
convent. With joy we will take you with us, my dear child. Our holy
mother will be transported to see you. Does she expect you, my dear
child?" inquired the sister, forgetting her tacit promise to ask no more
questions.

"No, no one expects me," sighed the fugitive, in so faint a voice that
the good Sister forbore to make any more inquiries for the moment.

The train rushed onward. Day was broadening. The horizon was growing red
in the east.

The party travelled on in silence for some ten or fifteen minutes, and
then, Sister Josephine growing impatient to have her curiosity satisfied,
made a few leading remarks.

"And so you were coming to us unannounced by any previous communication
to our holy mother? And coming alone on the night train! You possess a
noble courage, my child, but the adventure was hazardous to a young and
lovely unmarried woman. The Virgin be praised we met you when we did!"
said the Sister, devoutly crossing herself.

"Amen, and amen, to that!" sighed Salome.

"Our holy mother will be overjoyed to see you. You are sure she does not
expect you, my dear child?"

"No, Sister, she does not expect me, unless she has the gift of second
sight. For I did not expect myself to return to St. Rosalie, to-day, or
ever. When I took my place in this carriage at midnight, I did not know
how far I should go, or where I should stop. I took a through ticket to
Paris; but I did not know whether I should stop at Paris, or go on to
Marseilles, or Rome, or St. Petersburg, or New York, or where!" moaned
the fugitive.

"The holy saints protect us, my child! What wild thing is this you are
saying?" exclaimed Sister Josephine, making the sign of the cross.

"No matter what I say now, good Sister, I will tell our holy mother all.
Is la Mere Genevieve now your lady superior?" softly inquired the
fugitive.

"Yes, surely, my child. And she will be transported to behold her best
beloved pupil again. You are sure that she will be taken by surprise?"
said the good, simple minded Sister, still innocently angling for a
farther explanation.

"Yes, I feel sure that I shall surprise our good mother if I do
_not_ delight her; for, as I told you before, I gave her