rds my daughter to
take her hand and conduct her to the abbatial seat.

"Rise, my dear daughter," said the abbess; "come and assume the
place that belongs to you. Your virtues, and not your rank, have
obtained for you the position you have gained."

Fleur-de-Marie, trembling, advanced a few steps, and said:

"Pardon me, holy mother, but I would speak to my sisters."

"Then first place yourself, my dear child, in your abbatial
seat," said the princess; "it is from thence your voice shall be
heard."

"That place, holy mother, never can be mine!" replied
Fleur-de-Marie, in a low and tremulous voice.

"What mean you, my dear daughter?"

"So high a dignity was not made for me, holy mother."

"But the wishes of all your sisters call you to it."

"Permit me, holy mother, to make here, on my knees, a solemn
confession; and my sisters will see, and you, also, holy mother,
that the humblest condition is not humble enough for me."

"This arises from your modesty, my dear child," said the
superior, with kindness, believing that the unhappy girl was
giving way to a feeling of overdelicacy.

But I divined the confession Fleur-de-Marie was about to make,
and, greatly alarmed, I exclaimed, in a voice of entreaty:

"My child, I conjure thee--"

It is impossible, my dearest Clemence, to describe the look
which Fleur-de-Marie gave me. In an instant she understood all,
and saw how deeply I should share in the shame of this horrible
revelation. She comprehended that after such a confession they
might accuse me of falsehood, for I had always made it out that
Fleur-de-Marie had never left her mother. At this reflection the
poor dear child thought she would be guilty of the blackest
ingratitude towards me; she had not power to continue, but bowed
down her head, overcome--overwhelmed.

"Again I assure you, my dear child," said the abbess, "your
modesty deceives you. The unanimity of the choice of your
sisters proves how worthy you are to replace me. It is not the
princess--it is Sister Amelie who is elected. For us your life
began on the day when you first put foot in this house of the
Lord, and it is this exemplary and holy life that we recompense.
I will say more, my dear daughter; if before you entered this
retreat your life had been as wrong as it has been, on the