aspect of the dead sister was dreadful, and that she had to be guarded by
two women who sprinkled her with holy water, lest witches, under the form
of cats, should come and tear her limb from limb. Far from laughing at
her, I told her she was quite right, and asked where she had got the
laudanum.

"I got it from a worthy midwife, and old friend of mine. We got it to
send the poor lay-sister to sleep when the pains of child-birth should
come on."

"When you put the child at the hospital door, were you recognized?"

"Nobody saw me as I put it into the box, and I wrote a note to say the
child had not been baptized."

"Who wrote the note?"

"I did."

"You will, of course, see that the funeral is properly carried out?"

"It will only cost six francs, and the parson will take that from two
louis which were found on the deceased; the rest will do for masses to
atone for her having had the money."

"What! ought she not to have had the two louis?"

"No," said the nun, "we are forbidden to have any money without the
knowledge of the abbess, under pain of excommunication."