She
sat there and wrote to promote the principles upon which the House of
Martha was founded. In fact, so far as I was concerned, she was nothing
more than a principle.
Now, to interfere with the working of a principle is not the right thing
to do, and therefore I felt impelled to keep on dictating, which I did
until the hall door of the secretary's room was unlocked and the
sub-mother walked in. She came forward and said a few words to the nun,
who stopped writing and wiped her pen. The other then turned to me, and
in a low voice asked if the work of the sister was satisfactory. I
advanced to the grating, and answered that I was perfectly satisfied,
and was about to make some remarks, which I hoped would lead to a
conversation, when the sub-mother--whose name I subsequently learned was
Sister Sarah--made a little bow, and, saying if that were the case they
would return at nine the next morning, left the room in company with the
nun. The latter, when she arose from the table, turned her back to me,
and went out without giving me the slightest opportunity of looking into
her cavernous bonnet. This she did, I must admit, in the most natural
way possible, which was probably the result of training, and gave one no
idea of rudeness or incivility.
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