In Convent Walls Part 32

"Mother Gaillarde bade me go to the Infirmary," said Margaret in a low voice, "and sent Sister Roberga down to the laundry."

"Art thou speaking truth?" asked Mother Ada.

Margaret's head went up proudly. "King Alfred the Truth-Teller was my forefather," she said.

"Well! perhaps thou dost," answered Mother Ada, as if unwilling to admit it. "But it is very strange. I shall speak to Sister Gaillarde."

"What about?" said Mother Gaillarde, appearing suddenly from the pa.s.sage to my Lady's rooms.

"Sister Gaillarde, this is very strange conduct of you!" said Mother Ada. "I ordered Sister Roberga to the Infirmary."

"You did, Sister, and I altered your order. I am your superior, I believe?"

Mother Ada, who is usually very pale, went red, and murmured something which I could not hear.

"Nonsense!" said Mother Gaillarde.

To my unspeakable astonishment, Mother Ada burst into tears. She has so many times told the children, and not seldom the Sisters, that tears were a sign of weakness, and unworthy of reasonable, not to say religious, women--that they ought to be shed in penitence alone, or in grief at a slight offered to holy Church, that I could only suppose Mother Gaillarde had been guilty of some profanity.

"It is very hard!" sobbed Mother Ada. "That you should set yourself up in that way, when I was professed on the very same day as you--"

"What has that to do with it?" asked Mother Gaillarde.

"And my Lady shows you much more favour than she does me: only to-day you have been in her rooms twice!"

"I wish she would send for you," said Mother Gaillarde, "for it is commonly to waste time over some sort of fiddle-faddle that I despise.

You are heartily welcome to it, I can tell you! Now, come, Sister Ada, don't be silly and set a bad example. It is all nonsense, and you know it."

Off marched Mother Gaillarde with a firm step. Mother Ada continued to sob.

"n.o.body could bear such treatment!" said she. "The blessed Virgin herself would not have stood it. I am sure Sister Gaillarde is not a bit better than I am--of course I do not speak on my own account, but for the honour of the Order: that is what I am anxious about. It does not matter in the least how people tread _me_ down--I am the humblest-minded Sister in the house; but I am a Mother of the Order, and I feel Sister Gaillarde's words exceedingly. Pride is one of the seven deadly sins, and I do marvel where Sister Gaillarde thinks she is going.

I shall offer my next communion for her, that she may be more humble-minded. I am sure she needs it."

Mother Ada bit off her thread, as she said this, with a determined snap, as if it had cruelly provoked her. I was lost in amazement, for Mother Ada has always seemed so calm and icy that I thought nothing could move her, and here she was making a fuss about nothing, like one of the children. She had not finished when Mother Gaillarde came back.

"What, not over it yet?" said she, in her usual style. "Dear me, what a storm in a porringer!"

Mother Ada gave a bursting sob and a long wail to end it; but Mother Gaillarde took no more notice of her, only telling us all that Mother Alianora would be buried to-morrow, and that after the funeral we were to a.s.semble in conclave to elect a new Mother. It will be Sister Ismania, I doubt not; for she is eldest of the Sisters, and the one most generally held in respect.

In the evening, at recreation-time, Sister Philippa came up to me.

"So we are to meet to elect a new Mother!" said she, with much satisfaction in her tone. "I always like meeting in conclave. There is something grand about it. For whom will you vote, Sister Annora?"

"I have not thought much about it," said I, "except that I suppose every body will vote for Sister Ismania."

"I shall not," said Mother Joan.

I see so little of Mother Joan that I think I have rarely mentioned her.

She is Mistress of the Novices, and seldom comes where I am.

"You will not, Mother? For whom, then?" said Sister Philippa.

"If you should be appointed to collect the votes, Sister, you will know," was Mother Joan's reply.

"Now, is that not too bad?" said Sister Philippa, when Mother Joan had pa.s.sed on. "Of course the Mothers will collect the votes."

"I fancy Mother Joan meant we Sisters ought not to ask," I said.

"O Sister! did you not enjoy that quarrel between the Mothers this morning?" cried she.

"Certainly not," I answered. "I could not enjoy seeing any one either distressed or angry."

"Oh; but it was so delightful to see Mother Ada let herself down!" cried Philippa. "So proud and stuck-up and like an icicle as she always is!

_Ha jolife_! and she calls herself the humblest Sister in the house!"

Margaret had come up, and stood listening to us.

"Who think you is the humblest, Sister Philippa?"

"I don't know," said Sister Philippa. "If you asked me who was the proudest, maybe I could tell--only that I should have to name so many."

"Well, I should need to name but one," said I. "I would fain be the humblest; but that surely am I not: and I find so many wicked motions of pride in mine heart that I cannot believe any of us can be worse than myself."

"I think I know who is the lowliest of us, and the holiest," said Margaret as she turned away; "and I shall vote for her."

"Who can she mean?" asked Sister Philippa.

"I do not know at all," said I; and indeed I do not.

Dear Mother Alianora was buried this afternoon. The ma.s.s for the dead was very, very solemn. We laid her down in the Sisters' graveyard, till the resurrection morn shall come, when we shall all meet without spot of sin in the presence-chamber of Heaven. Till then, O holy and merciful Saviour, suffer us not, now and at our last hour, for any pains of death, to fall from Thee!

We pa.s.sed directly from the funeral into conclave. My Lady sent word to the Master that we were about to elect a Mother, and he sent us his benediction on our labour. We all filed into our oratory, and sat down in our various stalls. Then, after singing the Litany of the Holy Ghost, Mother Gaillarde pa.s.sed down the choir on the Gospel side, and Mother Ada on the Epistle side, collecting the votes. When all were collected, the two Mothers went up to my Lady, and she then came out of her stall, and headed them to the altar steps, where they all three knelt for a short s.p.a.ce. Then my Lady, turning round to us, and coming forward, announced the numbers.

"Thirty-four votes: for Sister Roberga, one; for Sister Isabel, two; for Sister Ismania, eleven; for Sister Annora, twenty. Our Sister Annora is chosen."

It was a minute before I was able to understand that such an unintelligible and astounding thing had happened, as that our community had actually chosen me--me, of all people!--to execute the highest office in the house, next to my Lady Prioress herself. Mother Gaillarde and Mother Ada came up to me, to lead me up to the altar.

"But it cannot be," said I. I felt completely confused.

"Thou art our Sister Annora, I believe," saith Mother Gaillarde, looking rather amused; "and I marvel the less at the choice since I helped to make it."

"I!" I said again, feeling more amazed than ever at what she said; "but I'm not a bit fit for such a place as that! Oh, do choose again, and fix on somebody more worthy than I am!"

"The choice of the community, guided by the Holy Spirit, has fallen on you, Sister," said Mother Ada, in a cold, hollow voice.

"Come along, and don't be silly!" whispered Mother Gaillarde, taking my right arm.

I really think Mother Gaillarde's words helped to rouse me from my stupor of astonishment, better than any thing else. Of course, if G.o.d called me to a certain work, He could put grace and wisdom into me as easily as into any one else; and I had only to bow to His will. But I did so wish it had been another who was chosen. Sister Ismania would have made a far better officer than I. And to think of such a poor, stupid, confused thing as I am, being put over her head! But, if it were G.o.d's will--that settled the matter.