“Because the father provincial would have it so.”
“And why did they send away one who did so much good here? Oh! unhappy me!”
“If our superiors were obliged to give reasons for what they do, where would be our obedience, my good woman?”
“But this is such a loss!”
“Shall I tell you how it has happened? they have probably wanted a good preacher at Rimini; (we have them in every place to be sure, but sometimes a particular man is needed;) the father provincial of that place has written to the father provincial of this, to know if there were such a person in this convent; the father provincial returned for answer, that there was none but Father Christopher who corresponded to the description.”
“Oh! unfortunate! When did he go?”
“The day before yesterday.”
“Oh! if I had only come a few days sooner, as I wished to do! And do they not know when he will return?”
“Why! my dear woman! the father provincial knows, if any one does; but when one of our preachers has taken his flight, it is impossible to say on what branch he will rest. They want him here; they want him there; for we have convents in the four quarters of the world. Father Christopher will make a great noise at Rimini, with his Lent sermon; the fame of this great preacher will resound every where, and it is our duty to give him up, because we live on the charity of others, and it is but right we should serve all the world.”
“Oh! misery! misery!” cried Agnes, weeping; “what shall I do without this good man? He was a father to us; what a loss! what a loss!”