nature bade her go to him at once. But the
unconscious volition of those long trained to duty is stronger than
almost any impulse except that of downright fear, and Sister Giovanna
stayed where she was, for there was still much to be done.

About half-an-hour later the Mother Superior entered the ward and
found her and led her quietly out. When they were alone together, the
elder woman told her the truth.

'Giovanni Severi has been brought here from Monteverde,' she said.
'His right arm is so badly crushed that unless it is amputated he will
certainly die.'

Sister Giovanna did not start, for she had guessed that he had
received some terrible injury. She answered quietly enough, by a
question.

'Is he conscious?' she asked. 'I believe that, by the law, his consent
must be obtained before the operation.'

'He came to himself, but the doctor thought it best to give him a
hypodermic of morphia and he is asleep.'

'Did he speak, while he was conscious?'

The Mother Superior knew what was passing in her daughter's mind, and
looked quietly into the expectant eyes.

'He did not pronounce your name, but he said that he would rather die
outright than lose his right arm. In any case, it would not be
possible to amputate it during the night. He had probably dined before
the accident, and it will not be safe to put him under ether before
to-morrow morning.'

Sister Giovanna did not speak for a few moments, though the Mother
Superior was almost quite sure what her next words would be, and that
the young nun was mentally weighing her own strength of character with
the circumstances that might arise.

'May I take care of him to-night?' she asked at last rather suddenly,
like a person who has decided to run a grave risk.

'Can you be sure of yourself?' asked the elder woman, trying to put
the question in the authoritative tone which she would have used with
any other Sister in the community.

But it was of no use; when she thought of all it meant, and of what
the delicate girl was to her, all the coldness went out of her voice
and the deepest motherly sympathy took its place. The answer came
after a short pause in which the question was finally decided.

'Yes. I can be sure of myself now.'

'Then come with me,' answered the Mother Superior.

They followed the passage to the lift, were taken up to the third
floor, and a few moments later were standing before the closed door of
Number Two. The Mother Superior paused