No doubt you perceive that I am a little disturbed, and indeed I am; for this morning I heard several things about him which have greatly upset me, and you know how valuable his life is to us—more it could not be. He will return next year to Grenoble. A great many people, and I believe half the diocese, regret it, especially M. de Boisy: but I do not, for it cannot be much prejudice to the bishopric, and is sure to be for God's glory, and he will, please God, reap a double harvest in this second visit. He greatly praises the goodness and piety of the people of Grenoble and particularly of the ladies. Poor Sister Barbe Marie arrived too late, but she made up for lost time and his Lordship has completely won her.
This woman has an excellent heart. She it is, I am told, who ought to introduce the ladies to us. Encourage her as much as possible to establish the Visitation at Grenoble. It is really very wonderful how on all sides they are asking for us, and we have no desire to settle ourselves anywhere, except at Grenoble. Everything looks encouraging in that direction. The ladies there are enthusiastic to have a foundation. Recommend the affair to Our Lord, for it seems to me that it will be for His glory. Our dear Sister (Barbe Marie) will tell you everything. She has written to me three times since the return of his Lordship and I once to her. This is only fair, for she is not as busy as I am. She is quite devoted to you. Get a thurible made out of that beautiful cup; we often need one and have to inconvenience our neighbours by borrowing from them. Sell our watch, my child, to help to pay for the making of it. You will have to do this for we are short of money. Good Madame Colin insists on our keeping her watch, but I shall not do so on any account unless she consents to take the value of it. It keeps good time and we have much need of such a one.
My poor dear Sister, I dearly love you. Live solely for God by giving yourself up entirely to His holy will and letting it act. Indeed, I long to do likewise and I pray God to let me die if I do not love Him henceforth with all my strength. Such is the desire of the miserable little heart of your poor Mother who has the toothache, so she must stop writing as soon as she has made up her mind what answer to give Monseigneur of Bourges. Our good Bishop will come for it this evening. We seldom, I assure you, see him now. But we do not mind so long as he can get through all his work. Would to God that I could relieve him of it!
Now this is the answer to the Archbishop of Bourges. Write to the grand-nephew as from yourself and say that if the matter is urgent we shall find great difficulty in providing Sisters, not having any yet sufficiently trained. I believe that Monseigneur intends first sending Cardinal Bellarmine's letter to the Father Rector, and afterwards to his Grace of Lyons....
I can understand poor N.'s temptation. Alas! from what I hear the poor Sister seems quite to have gone astray. God grant she may get into the right way again. In conclusion, dear daughter, I hope you will not take too much to heart what I have said about his Lordship's correspondence, I acknowledge to have written forcibly because it is doing him so much harm. Yesterday I let him know that I was going to write all round in the hope of curtailing it, and he told me that I must not do so, for he could manage very well. You understand, dearest daughter, I am not addressing myself to you, nor to any of our Sisters, for I don't wish to stop them from writing to him when they require his advice. Oh, indeed I do not! not them, nor any one. I only mean that discretion should be used in this matter.
Adieu, my most dear daughter. I embrace you lovingly in spirit and am wholly yours in our sweet Saviour. Amen.
XXII.
To the Same.
Vive ✠ Jésus!