while enjoying the coolness and thestillness of the church.As for the dogma, she could not understand it and did not even try.The priest discoursed, the children recited, and she went to sleep,only to awaken with a start when they were leaving the church andtheir wooden shoes clattered on the stone pavement.In this way, she learned her catechism, her religious education havingbeen neglected in her youth; and thenceforth she imitated allVirginia's religious practices, fasted when she did, and went toconfession with her. At the Corpus-Christi Day they both decorated analtar.She worried in advance over Virginia's first communion. She fussedabout the shoes, the rosary, the book and the gloves. With whatnervousness she helped the mother dress the child!During the entire ceremony, she felt anguished. Monsieur Bourais hidpart of the choir from view, but directly in front of her, the flockof maidens, wearing white wreaths over their lowered veils, formed asnow-white field, and she recognised her darling by the slenderness ofher neck and her devout attitude. The bell tinkled. All the heads bentand there was a silence. Then, at the peals of the organ the singersand the worshippers struck up the Agnes Dei; the boys' processionbegan; behind them came the girls. With clasped hands, they advancedstep by step to the lighted altar, knelt at the first step, receivedone by one the Host, and returned to their seats in the same order.When Virginia's turn came, Felicite leaned forward to watch her, andthrough that imagination which springs from true affection, she atonce became the child, whose face and dress became hers, whose heartbeat in her bosom, and when Virginia opened her mouth and closed herlids, she did likewise and came very near fainting.The following day, she presented herself early at the church so as toreceive communion from the cure. She took it with the proper feeling,but did not experience the same delight as on the previous day.Madame Aubain wished to make an accomplished girl of her daughter; andas Guyot could not teach English or music, she decided to send her tothe Ursulines at Honfleur.The child made no objection, but Felicite sighed and thought Madamewas heartless. Then, she thought that perhaps her mistress was right,as these things were beyond her sphere. Finally, one day, an oldfiacre stopped in front of the door and a nun stepped out. Feliciteput Virginia's luggage on top of the carriage, gave the coachman someinstructions, and smuggled six jars of jam, a dozen pears and a bunchof violets under the seat.At the last minute, Virginia had a fit of sobbing; she embraced hermother again and again, while the latter kissed her on the forehead,and said: "Now, be brave, be brave!" The step was pulled up and thefiacre rumbled off.Then Madame Aubain had a fainting spell, and that evening all herfriends, including the two Lormeaus, Madame Lechaptois, the ladiesRochefeuille, Messieurs de Houppeville and Bourais, called on her andtendered their sympathy.At first the separation proved very painful to her. But her daughterwrote her three times a week and the other days she, herself, wrote toVirginia. Then she walked in the garden, read a little, and in