So the lady moved, and the commissioner took care that the girl kept her eyes upon him or Miles.
Without betraying the secret of either of them, he contrived to draw from the girl the confession that she was very unwilling to enter upon a monastic life when the time came for her to leave home; and, though she was heartily ashamed to confess it, she would greatly prefer to live a secular life than be a nun.
She did not make any complaints of the treatment she had received since she had been here, but it was easy to see that the girl was unhappy; and a glad light beamed in her eyes when Master Baldock, turning to his assistant, said, "Mistress Cicely will be returned to her father, and, as I have his authority to take charge of her, she must come back to the hostelry with us." To the Lady-Superior he said, "If a lay sister can attend her I will take the charge of her as well."
"What do you mean? I cannot allow you to remove any of these children of God out of my care."
"But you forget I have the authority of the Cardinal Legate for this," said the commissioner, calmly. And then he motioned Cicely aside, and called one of the other girls before him. Similar questions were asked and answered; and among the twenty novices there two only wished to remain. The rest had grown tired of the life that had been pictured to them as one of exalted piety, but which they found to be so different on a fuller knowledge of it.
They all hoped they might be taken to the hostelry as well as Cicely, but this did not suit the plans of the commissioners, and they simply received a promise that they should be sent to their friends in the course of a week, when they could be sent under proper escort, and arrangements had been made for them to be welcomed home once more.
Then the storm began over Cicely again. The Mother protested that she must not be separated from her companions until her father came to fetch her.
In vain Master Baldock explained that the King's business would not permit him to take such a long journey; and, moreover, that the journey was needless, as he was her uncle, and duly authorised to take her into his care. At first the lady would not hear of such a thing; and when, at last, she was forced to yield a reluctant consent, she said the girls were all faint and in want of food, and Cicely must have a meal, and be wrapped up from the observation of passengers in the streets, or there might be some disturbance in the town over the matter.
This precaution was certainly necessary if they would escape observation as they passed through the streets, which would be thronged with students now; and the commissioner blamed himself for not thinking of this.
So he thanked the lady, and Cicely passed out of the room with the rest, and Miles packed up his things for that day, eager now to reach the hostelry, and ascertain whether his sister had arrived yet. If she had not, he would go in search of Rankin, and see if his wife could not come to attend upon the young lady until some more suitable friend could be found.