"Send me her photograph. I pray for her too. Good-bye, children, good-bye, dear children."
She took leave of Lot and Elly and went away in a dream and forgot to notice Theo. He shrugged his shoulders. The chant of a litany came from the chapel, which occupied a larger room opposite the little parlour.
They met the reverend mother in the passage; she was on her way to the chapel:
"How did you find your aunt?" she whispered. "Going to extremes, I expect: yes, she does go to extremes. Look!..."
And she made Elly, Lot and Theo peep through the door of the chapel. The sisters, kneeling on the praying-chairs, were chanting their prayers. On the floor, between the chairs, lay Aunt Thérèse, prostrate at full length, with her face hidden in her hands.
"Look!" said the reverend mother, with a frown. "Even we don't do that. It is unnecessary. It is not even convenable. I shall have to tell monsieur le directeur, so that he may speak to madame about it. I shall certainly tell him. Au revoir, madame, au revoir, messieurs...."
She bowed, like a woman of the world, with a smile and an air of calm distinction.
A sister saw them to the gate, let them out....
"Oof!" sighed Theo. "I've performed my filial duty once more for a few months."
"I could not do it," muttered Lot. "I simply couldn't."