Saying this, he turned to the old nun and said:
“Don’t you think so too, my beloved Ningje Ise (mercy and wisdom)?”
The nun raised her face and said in a pleasant voice: “You have said the truth. How glad I am to hear it!” Then turning to me she said:
“As you are in danger, leave this country as quickly as you can. We can find some means of protecting ourselves; therefore it is better for you to cease thinking of us, and to start directly. Now is the best time to steal out of the city, for the visit of the second Pope will keep the city busy for this whole month, and no one will notice your departure. No better opportunity can be found. If it were on an ordinary day, you could not run away even though you were free from suspicion, for Lamenba—the chief physician to the Pope—wishes to keep you long in this country, and has already spoken to the Pope about it. Lose no time in preparing for the journey. This is my sincere advice.”
As she spoke thus I observed tears in her eyes.
[CHAPTER LXXXII.]
Preparations for Departure.
When I heard them speak so kindly I was heartily pleased, and so touched that I could not restrain my tears. Though their advice was so reasonable and pleasing I was not inclined to take it immediately, and begged them earnestly to deliver me over to the Government so that no evil might befall them. They would not listen to me.
At length the nun said: “As it is of no use to argue here, is it not better to leave the matter to the judgment of Ti Rinpoche? and if according to his judgment there is no evil to be feared for you and for us, then you can present the letter as you wish. We are arguing in vain unless we can foretell the result of the matter.”
I was then obliged to tell them all about the ‘silent contemplation’ and its agreement with the judgment of Ti Rinpoche. When I told this their faces cleared and the ex-Minister said with a smile: