The Woman Thou Gavest Me

she, too, had been hurt by it.

She put me to sit on a stool by the side of her chair, and taking my
right hand she laid it in her lap and held it there during the whole of
the interview.

The Bishop, whom I had never seen before, was the first to speak. He was
a type of the fashionable ecclesiastic, suave, smiling, faultlessly
dressed in silk soutane and silver buckled shoes, and wearing a heavy
gold chain with a jewelled cross.

"Reverend Mother," he said, "you would gather from Mr. O'Neill's letter
that he wishes to remove his daughter immediately--I presume there will
be no difficulty in his doing so?"

The Reverend Mother did not speak, but I think she must have bent her
head.

"Naturally," said the Bishop, "there will be a certain delay while
suitable clothes are being made for her, but I have no doubt you will
give Mr. O'Neill your help in these preparations."

My head was down, and I did not see if the Reverend Mother bowed again.
But the two gentlemen, apparently satisfied with her silence, began to
talk of the best date for my removal, and just when I was quivering with
fear that without a word of protest I was to be taken away, the Reverend
Mother said:

"Monsignor!"

"Reverend Mother!"

"You are aware that this child"--here she patted my trembling hand--"has
been with me for ten years?"

"I am given to understand so."

"And that during that time she has only once been home?"

"I was not aware--but no doubt it is as you say."

"In short, that during the greater part of her life she has been left to
my undivided care?"

"You have been very good to her, very, and I'm sure her family are
extremely grateful."

"In that case, Monsignor, doesn't it seem to you that I am entitled to
know why she is being so suddenly taken away from me, and what is the
change in life which Mr. O'Neill referred to in his letter?"

The smile which had been playing upon the Bishop's face was smitten away
from it by that question, and he looked anxiously across at my father.

"

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