tes. A comfortable close
carriage will meet us there to convey us to St. Rosalie," said Sister
Josephine, soothingly.

Salome sank wearily back in her corner seat. The short-lived energy that
enabled her to talk was dying out. Her hands and feet were cold as ice.
Her head was hot as fire. Her frame was faint almost to swooning.

The train sped on. The party in the carriage fell into silence that
lasted until the train "slowed," and stopped at a little way station.

"Here we are!" said Sister Josephine, rising to leave the carriage with
her companions.

The guard opened the door.

Sister Josephine led the way out, and then took the hand of the half
fainting Salome, to help her on.

The two other sisters followed. A close carriage, with an aged coachman
on the box, awaited them. The old man did not leave his seat; but Sister
Josephine opened the door and helped Salome into the carriage, and placed
her comfortably on the cushions in a corner of the back seat, and then
sat down beside her.

The two younger sisters followed and placed themselves on the front seat.

The aged coachman, who knew his duty, did not wait for orders, but turned
immediately away from the station, and drove off just as the train
started again on its way to Paris.

They entered a country road running through a wood--a pleasant ride, if
Salome could have enjoyed it--but she leaned back on her cushions, with
closed eyes, fever-flushed cheeks, and fainting frame. The sisters,
seeing her condition, refrained from disturbing her by any conversation.

They rode on in perfect silence for about a mile, when they came to a
high stone wall, which ran along on the left-hand side of their road,
while the thick wood continued on their right-hand side. The road here
ran between the wood and the wall of the convent grounds.

CHAPTER XX.

SALOME'S PROTECTRESS.

"We have arrived. Welcome home, my dear child," said Sister Josephine, as
the carriage drew up before the strong and solid, iron-bound, oaken gates
of the convent.

The aged coachman blew a shrill summons upon a little silver whistle that
he carried in his pocket for the purpose.

The gates were thrown wide open and the carriage rolled into an extensive
court-yard, enclosed in a high stone wall, and having in its centre the
massive building of the convent proper, with its chapel and offices.

A straight, broad, hard, rolled, gravelled carriage-way led from the
gates through the cour