“Have you ever loved a man?”
“Yes,” she said, with a clear laugh and a slight colour.
“Is he worthy?”
“I believe him a noble soul.”
“Naturally.”
“He ran away and left me because he thought I was a nun.”
The hermit applauded.
“That sounds like honour,” he said critically.
“I am seeking him to tell him the truth.”
“And I will pray that you may soon meet,” said the old man, "for there is nothing like the love of a good man for a clean maid. If I had married a true woman, I should never have taken to the scourge or the stone bed. Marry wisely and you are halfway to Heaven."