We also met at Aix the Superiors of Sisteron, Apt, and Toulon, humble and virtuous souls, but not possessing the useful talents of the first four. In returning from Provence I stopped at our house of Crest, where I again found very good Sisters with a young Mother of thirty, but of a capable mind, judicious and zealous. She keeps straight to the grand road of the Rule, "for fear," she says, "of going astray." She gave me great satisfaction. Now I am at Valence, where it appears to me the community is feeling somewhat the effects of having had young Superiors for eight years in succession; nevertheless they keep to the exterior observance and manifest an ardent desire to profit by our stay. I have not yet spoken with them, but I intend to do so. The Superior is good, gentle, capable, and willing, but is wanting in experience; this, please God, will come. These Sisters are in need of one who is firm and experienced. I hope, as next year will be that of their election, that God will look after them in this matter according to their needs.
Pardon my bad writing, but I forget half I wish to say. We went from Marseilles to Sainte-Baume, a place of great devotion.
Always your very humble, obedient, and obliged daughter, and servant in Our Lord.
[A] We quote the following extract from the "History of the Foundation of the Visitation Order": "A person of good social position had, it is said, borrowed a very large sum of money from the Second monastery of the Visitation at Paris, promising immediately to send a written acknowledgement of this loan, and to repay it at the end of a fortnight. But upon receiving the money he at once absconded. Informed of his departure, Mother Marie Agnes Le Roy took active steps to recover the money, which was the entire capital of her community. The immediate result of her inquiries was that the affair became public, and the friends of the accused, who were very numerous, all took his part and spread the grossest calumnies against the victims of his treachery. But God taking charge of their defence providentially brought back to Paris the culprit, who thus fell into the hands of those who were seeking him. He made restitution, in so far as to acknowledge with confusion that he had taken the money, intending to speculate with it, but he appears to have been unable to restore to the Convent the entire sum."
The Nuns claimed no other punishment for him than the avowal of his discreditable conduct.
CI.
To Mother Marie Agnes Le Roy, Superior of the Second Monastery of Paris.
Vive ✠ Jésus!
Valence, 1636.
My well-beloved and dearest Daughter,