, stood the chapel, a
beautiful little Gothic temple, surmounted by a steeple and a gilded
cross; on each hand, in a line with the chapel, stood the buildings
containing the cloisters, dormitories, and refectories of the nuns and
novices.

On the east front stood the Foundling for abandoned infants; the Asylum
for orphan boys and girls, and the Home for aged men and women.

On the south end were the offices, kitchens, laundries, store-houses,
gas-house, and so forth, for the whole establishment.

Finally, on the west front, farthest removed from the asylums, were the
academy buildings, containing school and class-rooms, dormitories and
refectory for the accommodation of pupils.

It was in these west buildings that Salome had lived and learned during
the years she had spent at the Convent of St. Rosalie. She had never
entered any other part of the establishment except the chapel, and on the
north front, which was reached by a long passage running with an angle
from the school-hall to the chapel aisle.

The square courtyard within the enclosure of these buildings was paved
with gray flag-stones, and adorned in the centre by a marble fountain.
But no footstep ever crossed it except that of some lay sister
occasionally sent from the cloisters to the office, on some household
errand. So no opportunity was afforded of making the courtyard a place
of meeting between the "young ladies" of the academy and the poor little
children of the asylums.

The academy opened from its front upon its own gardens, lawns,
shrubberies, and other pleasure-grounds, the resort of its pupils during
their hours of recreation.

Thus Salome Levison, with all her school-mates, had been completely cut
off from all intercourse with the objects of the convent's charity during
the whole period of her residence at the academy, which, indeed, covered
the greater portion of her young life.

Now, however, since her return to the convent, she had been domiciliated
in the nun's house on the right of the chapel, and possessed, if she
pleased to exercise it, the freedom of the establishment.

On the Saturday before Christmas (which would also come on Saturday that
year) the abbess went into the room occupied by her invalid guest.

Salome was seated in the white easy-chair beside the window, and near the
porcelain stove. She was dressed in a deep mourning wrapper of black
bombazine, and an inside handkerchief and undersleeves of white linen.
Her pallid