I remember what a hush fell upon them
the first night; while beyond the posture of prayer I could do
little. Only unformed or half formed thoughts and petitions
struggled in my mind, through a crowd of jostling regrets and
wishes and confusions, in which I could hardly distinguish
anything. But no explosion followed, of either ridicule or
amusement, and I had been suffered from that night to do as I
would, not certainly always in silence, but quite unmolested.
I had carried over my standish to Miss Cardigan to ask her to
take care of it for me; I had no place to keep it. But Miss
Cardigan was not satisfied to see the prize; she wanted to
hear the essay read; and was altogether so elated that a
little undue elation perhaps crept into my own heart. It was
not a good preparation for what was coming.
I went home in good time. In the hall, however, Mlle.
Genevieve seized upon me; she had several things to say, and
before I got up stairs to my room all the rest of its inmates
were in bed. I hoped they were asleep.
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