# The Silent Prince/Chapter 12

CHAPTER XII.
IN THE SNARE.
“Do not be frightened, ladies. I have come not to rebuke you, but to serve you. Allow me to introduce myself. Among my friends I am known as Father Ryder. If my standing among the brethren is called into question, people salute me as Monseigneur Ryder, Superior of the House of the Jesuits in Brussels. By Madame La Tour and her daughter I hope to be addressed as Father Ryder.”
The Jesuit bowed courteously to the elder lady, but his eyes rested longest on the fair face of Katharine La Tour. The young girl had just budded into womanhood, yet the sweet spring air of girlhood hovered about her like the scent of woodland violets. Monseigneur Ryder, with his æsthetic tastes, was quick to recognize the subtle charm of that sensitive, high-bred face. Katharine La Tour had inherited from some Saxon ancestor her transparent complexion and large blue eyes. But it was the harmonious blending of dignity and gentleness, the modest flushing of the cheek, the candor and intelligence that beamed from her clear eyes, which constituted her chief charm. The Superior felt ​more of human emotion than usual, and he gazed with considerable attention upon the woman who was capable of awakening in his mind more than a passing interest.
Madame La Tour recognized fully, and her daughter in part, that somehow their fate rested in the hands of this distinguished Jesuit.
Both ladies arose and made reverent salutations, and Madame La Tour bade the Superior to sit down. She furthermore expressed her pleasure at the honor bestowed upon herself and daughter by this visit.
“I think, ladies,” said the Superior, “that you cannot be in ignorance of my mission to-day. Before the estates to which you have recently fallen heir can be legally conveyed to you, it is necessary that the Church should be satisfied as to your orthodoxy. Of Madame La Tour we have no serious doubts, but as to whether her daughter is a good Catholic we are not so confident. Has she been duly instructed in the Catholic faith, and does she profess to be a true believer?” he inquired of Madame.
“Certainly, your reverence. Her father, to be sure, was a Huguenot, but continued persecution broke his spirit. He did not wish to have his child urged to follow a path which led to such direful results, and so he permitted me to rear her in my own faith.”
​“Your husband showed remarkable leniency for one of that accursed sect,” said the Jesuit, with an ill-concealed sneer.
“My father was everything that was honorable and noble,” said Katharine La Tour proudly. “Could you have known him, your reverence, I do not think you would have despised him even though he was a Huguenot.”
The expression which animated the young girl's face made her wonderfully attractive.
“I admire your loyalty to your father's memory,” said the Jesuit gently. “I have no doubt he possessed excellent virtues. I only regret that he chose to die outside the pale of the Church.”
“Is my daughter's standing as a Catholic questioned?” asked Madame, her thoughts centring about the inheritance which meant so much to her.
“Frankly, yes. Reports have reached us which lead us to doubt her devotion to mother Church.”
“But I tell you she is a Catholic,” said Madame, irritably. “Is not the word of a good Catholic sufficient to set your doubts to rest?”
“Madame La Tour, this is no ordinary case. There is a large fortune at stake, which must not be allowed to go into Protestant hands. It is entirely for your own interest and that of your daughter to profess orthodoxy and to support your statements by an outward observance of the rites and ceremonies of the Catholic Church. What we wish to ​know is whether Mademoiselle is anything more than a nominal Catholic.”
The Superior watched the young lady keenly while he was speaking. Quick to read faces and to form correct judgments, her look of terror and her extreme pallor convinced him that he was on the verge of a discovery. Fixing his searching eyes on her face, he said: “My child, tell me frankly what is your spiritual condition. I know that you are incapable of either falsehood or deceit.”
The young girl felt the powerful personality of the Superior, and her lips framed almost unconsciously the statement which he had requested her to make.
“Your reverence, you have judged correctly. I shall speak only the simple truth.” Then gathering courage the girl stated her position with dignity and candor.
“I am, your reverence, at heart neither a Catholic nor a Protestant. The freedom to choose some religious belief was left in my hands, My father insisted that until I arrived at maturity I was not to be unduly biased in favor of either the Huguenot faith or the Roman Catholic religion. I attended mass with my mother and went to confession, My confessor was not strict, and he allowed me to come up without any definite instruction as to the fundamental beliefs of his faith. I am in the deplorable condition of a person who does not know his own ​mind; but I am desirous of knowing the truth, and both my inclinations and my interests favor the Catholic religion. If after due study the doctrines of your Church satisfy my reason and conscience, I shall be only too glad to enter heart and soul into the duties and privileges of a devout believer.”
The Superior felt a thrill of triumph at this revelation. He now understood the girl's character perfectly, and his line of action became plain. He looked his admiration as he said: “My child, I thank you for your confidence, which has dispelled my doubts as to your sincerity. I shall be pleased to place in your hands the writings of the greatest saints of the Church, and to help you to secure the knowledge which your intellect craves. I have no doubt but what a few months of careful and prayerful study will convince you of the infallibility of the Roman Catholic Church. Now, Madame La Tour, let me unfold to you my plan. There are still a few forms and preliminary steps to be attended to before your claims can be adjusted. The consent of the Chancellor of Brabant I obtained previous to my visit to you. It only remains for me to satisfy the ecclesiastical authorities,and the property is yours. I will advise that both of you ladies take up your residence in the Convent of the Sacred Heart until these matters are adjusted. Mademoiselle can then receive the instruction she craves, and Madame will find the accommodations infinitely ​superior to those she is enduring here. As I wish to personally superintend the religious instruction which Mademoiselle La Tour receives, it will be more convenient for me to have her in charge of the Lady Abbess.”
“Can we not remain here just as well? ” faltered Madame, who had a wholesome dread of “holy houses.”
“Daughter,” said the Jesuit sternly, “you should obey your spiritual advisers and not argue with them. Do you not see your consent to reside at the convent will do more to disarm suspicion as to your orthodoxy than any number of statements or assertions of piety? Believe me, I am seeking your best good by my request.”
“Forgive me, Father, for my seeming ingratitude. We will gladly accompany you.”
“Then the matter is settled,” said Monseigneur Ryder rising. “A carriage will be sent for you in two hours. Set your hearts at rest, for your expectations will shortly be realized. At all events, you can rely upon my hearty co-operation. Farewell.”