Hæc.—"Yet she was held in great respect and honour by all the sisterhood, as she herself could testify."
Illa.—"Stuff! she must be sub-prioress, and there was an end of it, or the abbess might lie groaning there till she was as stiff as a pole."
"Alas! Sidonia," answered the abbess, "I would rather lie here as stiff as a pole—or, in other words, lie here a corpse, for I understand thy meaning—than do aught that was unjust."
Illa.—"What was unjust? The old goose need not be turned out of her office by force, but persuaded out of it—that would be an easy matter, if she were so humble and excellent a creature."
Hæc.—"But then deceit must be practised, and that she could never bring herself to."
Illa.—"Yet you could all practise deceit against me, and send off that complaint to his Highness the Prince."
Hæc.—"There was no falsehood there nor deceit, but the openly expressed wish of the whole convent, and of his worship the sheriff."
Illa.—"Then let the whole convent and his worship the sheriff make her well again; she would not trouble herself about the matter."
Whereupon she rose to depart, but the suffering abbess stretched out her hands, and begged, for the sake of Jesus, that she would release her from this torture! "Take everything—everything thou wishest, Sidonia—only leave me my good conscience. Thy dying hour must one day come too; oh! think on that."
Illa.—"The dying hour is a long way off yet" (and she moved to the door).