Sister Paul walked with her to the head of the stairs, wishing that the rules would allow her to accompany Beatrice into the parlour.

Then as the latter went down the nun stood at the top looking after her and audibly repeating prayers for her preservation.
The convent parlour was a large, bare room, lighted by a high and grated window.

Plain, straight, modern chairs were ranged against the wall at regular intervals.

There was no table, but a square piece of green carpet lay upon the middle of the stone pavement.

A richly ornamented glazed earthenware stove, in which a fire had just been lighted, occupied one corner, a remnant of former aesthetic taste and strangely out of place since the old carved furniture was gone.