Lady Rosamond's book

by Lucy Ellen Guernsey

Oh, that last embrace! I dare not dwell upon it! It was too much for Amice, who fell back fainting. I called Mother Gertrude, who was already astir, and together we revived her. Then Mother Gertrude, seeing, I suppose, by my looks, how much I was overcome, gave me a composing drink and sent me to bed. I was long in falling asleep, but I did at last, and when I waked all was over. I heard afterward how it was. Seeing that Amice was clearly near her end, the Sisters were assembled in her room, as usual, for the last rite.

Then she spoke with a clear and plain voice, declaring that having had her mind enlightened by Holy Scripture, and as she believed also by light from on high, she did utterly contemn and repudiate all worship and honor of images and pictures, all prayers to our Lady and the Saints, and all trust whatever for salvation in forms and ceremonies, in penances, indulgences, or any such toys; placing her hopes of salvation upon Christ alone. Having said which, (but mentioning naught of Magdalen Jewell's escape,) she repeated in a clear voice and with (as Sister Placida told me,) a countenance more like a beatified Saint than a dying heretic, these words from the Psalm: "Into thy hands I commend my spirit, for thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, thou God of truth."

And then sinking back and clasping her hands, she yielded up the ghost.

'Twas a terrible shock and surprise to all, for Amice had been devout from a child, using many prayers, and as much of watching and fasting as her superiors would permit; and nobody, not even Sister Catherine, doubted that she had a true vocation.

Mother Gertrude fainted on the spot, and revived only to fall into fits, to which, it seems, she was formerly subject. All the Sisters fled from the room, and the poor body lay unwatched and uncared for till night, when it was hastily and with little ceremony buried in the far corner of the cemetery, by the side of that poor secluded lady, who had, as it were, left this legacy of trouble behind her.

Sister Placida (she is Mother Placida now, having been put in the place of dear Mother Gertrude, who is far too feeble to perform any duty,) Sister Placida, I say, told me these things when I was recovering from my long illness. She professed to be very hard and severe toward the poor thing, but I could see her heart yearned over her, and indeed she ended by a great burst of weeping, and declaring that she would never cease to pray for the soul of Amice Crocker, adding that the prayers, if they did no good, could do no harm, and might serve some other poor soul in Purgatory.

I had just waked from my long and heavy sleep, and was striving to collect my thoughts and calm my throbbing head, when Sister Catherine burst in on me with the news that Amice was gone; and after recounting the manner of her death, added that now one might see what came of favoritism and book-learning, and court preferment; and thanking the Saints, as usual, for her lowly station and for the grace of humility which they had vouchsafed to obtain for her. She added, that as the bosom friend and confident of that lost heretic, I should doubtless be severely dealt by, and adjured me to make a full confession and recantation, as in that case I might be let off with perpetual imprisonment.

Whether any such purposes were entertained against me I know not, but I do not greatly believe it; at any rate, they were not carried out; for that very hour I was taken with an ague chill, which turned to a long and low fever, lasting I know not how many weeks, during which I lay mostly in a low, muttering delirium, knowing nobody, and talking, when I could be understood, only of my childish life at home, and my lessons with my mother and Master Ellenwood. Even I after the fever left me, I was as weak as any babe, for a long time, and as I had been removed from my usual place and put in a cell opening from Mother Superior's part of the house, where I saw nobody but herself, Mother Placida and Sister Bonaventure, who brought my food, I heard nothing of what was going on in the house.

I was very much better, and able to sit up some hours and work a little, when, one day, I was aware of a somewhat unusual bustle in the house, and by-and-by Mother Superior and Mother Placida came to me.

"The Bishop is here, and desires you may be brought before him," said Mother Superior. She spoke calmly, as usual, but I saw that she was disturbed and flurried. They helped me to dress, and then supporting me each by an arm, they led me into Mother Superior's private room, where the Reverend Prelate sat in her great chair, with Father Fabian standing behind him.