were expected to use. The dining-room was not large; only part of
the girls could be seated at a time; so they took turns at dining
at the first table, half one week and half the next.

Mrs. Nipson sat at the tea-tray, with Mrs. Florence beside her. At
the other end of the long board sat a severe-looking person, whom
Lilly announced in a whisper as "that horrid Miss Jane." The meal
was very simple,--tea, bread and butter, and dried beef:--it was
eaten in silence; the girls were not allowed to speak, except to
ask for what they wanted. Rose Red indeed, who sat next to Mrs.
Florence, talked to her, and even ventured once or twice on daring
little jokes, which caused Clover to regard her with admiring
astonishment. No one else said any thing, except "Butter, please,"
or "Pass the bread." As they filed upstairs after this cheerless
meal, they were met by rows of hungry girls, who were waiting to go
down, and who whispered, "How long you have been! What's for tea?"

The evening passed in making up classes and arranging for recitation-
rooms and study-hours. Katy was glad when bed-time came. The day,
with all its new impressions and strange faces, seemed to her like a
confused dream. She and Clover undressed very quietly. Among the
printed rules, which hung on the bedroom door, they read: "All
communication between room-mates, after the retiring bell has rung,
is strictly prohibited." Just then it did not seem difficult to keep
this rule. It was only after the candle was blown out, that Clover
ventured to whisper,--very low indeed, for who knew but Miss Jane
was listening outside the door?--"Do you think you're going to like
it?" and Katy, in the same cautious whisper, responded, "I'm not
quite sure." And so ended the first day at the nunnery.