ce to me, she began to speak. I stood
open-mouthed, and, I need not say, delighted. Whatever her words might
be, it rejoiced me to hear them; to know that she voluntarily recognized
my existence, and desired to communicate with me.

"I have spoken to Mother Anastasia," she said, her voice directed
towards the screen in the open window, "and I told her that it was
impossible for me to work without sometimes saying a few words to ask
for what I need, or to request you to repeat a word which I did not
catch. Since I began to write I have lost no less than twenty-three
words. I have left blanks for them, and made memoranda of the pages;
but, as I said to her, if this sort of thing went on, you would forget
what words you had intended to use, and when you came to read the
manuscript you could not supply them, and that therefore I was not doing
my work properly, and honestly earning the money which would be paid to
the institution. I also told her that you sometimes forgot where you
left off the day before, and that I ought to read you a few lines of
what I had last written, in order that you might make the proper
connection. I think this is very necessary, for to-day you have left an
awful gap. Yesterday we were writing about that old Crusader's bank in
Genoa, and now you are at work at Rome, when we haven't even started for
that city."

Each use of this word "we" was to me like a strain of music from the
heavens.

"Do you think I did right?" she added.

"Right!" I exclaimed. "Most assuredly you did. Nothing could be more
helpful, and in fact more necessary, than to let me know just where I
left off. What did the sisters say?"

"I spoke only to Mother Anastasia," she replied. "She considered the
matter a little while, and then said that she could see there must be
times when you would require some information from me in regard to the
work, and that there could be no reasonable objection to my giving such
information; but she reminded me that the laws of the House of Martha
require that the sisters must give their sole attention to the labor
upon which they are employed, and must not indulge, when so engaged, in
any conversation, even among themselves, that is not absolutely
necessary."

"Mother Anastasia is very sensible," said I, "and if I were to see her,
I should be happy to express my appreciation of her good advice upon the
subject. And, by the way, did she tell you that it was necessary to wear
that hot bonnet