He spared her the pain of replying, by leaving her; and she strolled on,
somewhat displeased with the Count for having persevered to plead for a
suit, which she had repeatedly rejected, and lost amidst the melancholy
recollections, which this topic had revived, till she had insensibly
reached the borders of the woods, that screened the monastery of St.
Clair, when, perceiving how far she had wandered, she determined to
extend her walk a little farther, and to enquire about the abbess and
some of her friends among the nuns.
Though the evening was now drawing to a close, she accepted the
invitation of the friar, who opened the gate, and, anxious to meet some
of her old acquaintances, proceeded towards the convent parlour. As she
crossed the lawn, that sloped from the front of the monastery towards
the sea, she was struck with the picture of repose, exhibited by some
monks, sitting in the cloisters, which extended under the brow of the
woods, that crowned this eminence; where, as they meditated, at this
twilight hour, holy subjects, they sometimes suffered their attention to
be relieved by the scene before them, nor thought it profane to look at
nature, now that it had exchanged the brilliant colours of day for the
sober hue of evening.
Before the cloisters, however, spread an
ancient chesnut, whose ample branches were designed to screen the full
magnificence of a scene, that might tempt the wish to worldly pleasures;
but still, beneath the dark and spreading foliage, gleamed a wide extent
of ocean, and many a passing sail; while, to the right and left, thick
woods were seen stretching along the winding shores. So much as this had
been admitted, perhaps, to give to the secluded votary an image of the
dangers and vicissitudes of life, and to console him, now that he had
renounced its pleasures, by the certainty of having escaped its evils.
As Emily walked pensively along, considering how much suffering she
might have escaped, had she become a votaress of the order, and remained
in this retirement from the time of her father's death, the vesper-bell
struck up, and the monks retired slowly toward the chapel, while she,
pursuing her way, entered the great hall, where an unusual silence
seemed to reign. The parlour too, which opened from it, she found
vacant, but, as the evening bell was sounding, she believed the nuns had
withdrawn into the chapel, and sat down to rest, for a moment, before
she returned to the chateau, where, however, the increasing gloom made
her now anxious to be.
Not many minutes had elapsed, before a nun, entering in haste, enquired
for the abbess, and was retiring, without recollecting Emily, when
she made herself known, and then learned, that a mass was going to be
performed for the soul of sister Agnes, who had been declining, for some
time, and who was now believed to be dying.