A sun hath set — a star hath risen,

O, Geraldine ! since arms of thine
Have been the lovely lady's prison.
Coleridge.
Popular fame had erred in assigning to Eveline Berenger,
after the capture of her castle, any confinement more severe than
that of her aunt the Lady Abbess of the Cistertians' convent
afforded. Yet that vi^as severe enough ; for maiden aunts,
whether abbesses or no, are not tolerant of the species of errors
of which Evehne was accused ; and the innocent damosel was
brought in many ways to eat her bread in shame of countenance
and bitterness of heart. Every day of her confinement was ren-
dered less and less endurable by taunts, in the various forms of
sympathy, consolation, and exhortation ; but which, stript of their
assumed forms, were undisguised anger and insult. The company
of Rose was all which Eveline had to sustain her under these
inflictions, and that was at length withdrawn on the very morning
when so many important events took place at the Garde
Doloureuse.
The unfortunate young lady enquired in vain of a grim-faced
nun, who agpeared in Rose's place to assist her to dress, why her
companion and friend was debarred attendance. The nun ob-
served on that score an obstinate silence, but threw out many
hints on the importance attached to the vain ornaments of a frail
child of clay, and on the hardship that even a spouse of Heaven
was compelled to divert her thoughts from her higher duties, and
condescend to fasten clasps and adjust veils.
