, by their too worldly
nature, were calculated to exclude the religious members of the institution from
partaking in them. To this society Paulina received frequent invitations, which,
however, she declined so uniformly that at length all efforts ceased to draw her
from the retirement which she so manifestly adhered to from choice. The motives
of her dejection became known throughout the convent, and were respected; and it
was now reported amongst them, from her aversion to society as well as her
increasing devotion, that the Lady Paulina would soon take the veil.
    Amongst the strangers was one, a lady of mature age, with beauty still
powerful enough to fascinate all beholders, who seemed to survey Paulina with an
interest far beyond that of curiosity or simple admiration. Sorrow might be
supposed the common bond which connected them; for there were rumours amongst
the sisterhood of St. Agnes that this lady had suffered afflictions heavier than
fell to an ordinary lot in the course of the war which now desolated Germany.
Her husband (it was said), of whom no more was known than that he was some
officer of high rank, had perished by the hand of violence; a young daughter,
the only child of two or three who remained to her, had been carried off in
infancy; and no traces remained of her subsequent fate. To these misfortunes was
added the loss of her estates and rank, which, in some mysterious way, were
supposed to be withheld from her by one of those great oppressors whom war and
the policy of great allies had aggrandized. It was supposed even that for the
means of subsistence to herself, and a few faithful attendants, she was indebted
to the kindness of the Lady Abbess, with whom she was closely connected by
ancient friendship.
    In this tale there were many inaccuracies mixed up with the truth. It was
true that, in some one of the many dire convulsions which had passed from land
to land since the first outbreak of the Bohemian troubles in 1618, and which had
covered with a veil of political pretexts so many local acts of private family
feud and murderous treason, this lady had been deprived of her husband by a
violent death under circumstances which still seemed mysterious. But the fate of
her children, if any had survived the calamity which took off her husband, was
unknown to everybody except her confidential protectress the Lady Abbess. By
permission of this powerful friend, who had known her from infancy and through
the whole course of her misfortunes, she was permitted to take up her abode in
the convent, under special privileges, and was there known by the name of Sister