"We shall see when the time comes," said Amabel. "I never found much use in making up my mind beforehand. Either the thing you expect never comes, or else it comes in such a different way that all your preparations are of no use at all."
This was Amabel's way, and has been all her life, and certainly it has seemed to serve her very well. I have never seen any one pass through with so little of what we call fretting. She has had many serious troubles, but very few worries, while I must confess I have generally had my troubles three times over—before they came, while they lasted, and after they were gone.
After supper Mother Prudentia came to us with a very grave and sad face.
"The English lady is to go to Mother Superior, in her own room, at once," said she.
"In her own room?" I repeated, very much surprised.
The "Community Rooms" in a convent are sacred from any profane foot, so that one may be a pupil in such a house a dozen years and never enter them. The peculiar circumstances of our family placed Amabel and myself on a somewhat different footing from ordinary pupils, so that we were treated rather as postulants, but even we had never been in the rooms which opened from the Superior's parlor.
"Yes," answered the mother sadly. "Dear Mother Superior is not able to go any farther than the outer room. She tried going to the parlor but she was not able. I fear she will never descend those stairs again. You may call madame—I cannot say her name for my life—and lead her to madame's room."
Mrs. Thorpe was walking with Sister Agnes in the flower garden. It was this sister's office to attend upon guests, and I think she was well-pleased with having a chance to exercise it once more. She could not understand Mrs. Thorpe's French much better than her English, but happily they were both devoted to flowers, and the language of sympathy and admiration are much the same all over the world.
We explained to Mrs. Thorpe that she was to go with us to the Superior, and led her through the long hall and up the great stairs to the lady's room.
"What a great castle of a place!" said Mrs. Thorpe, looking round her and speaking in a half whisper. "Where do all these doors go to?"