When he was showing her the procession of little stone monks, she interrupted him thoughtlessly, to ask if souls, tired of the world, disappointed and desirous of giving themselves to God, often came to the monastery.
"I am a Protestant," she said.

"This interests me greatly." In his heart Don Clemente thought that if this really interested her greatly, it was not on account of her Protestantism, but on account of her friendship for Signora Dessalle.
"Not often," he answered; "sometimes.

Such souls usually prefer other Orders.

So you are a Protestant?
But you will have no objection to entering our church?
I do not mean the Catholic Church," he added, smiling and blushing, "I mean the church of our monastery." And he told her about a Protestant Englishman, who was in love with St.Benedict, and made long stays at Subiaco, frequently visiting Santa Scolastica and the Sacro Speco.
"He has a most beautiful soul," he said.
But Noemi wished to return to the first subject; to know if--urged by a spirit of penitence--any one ever came from the world to serve in the cloister without wearing the habit.

She received no answer, for Don Clemente, seeing a colossal monk enter the cloister, begged to be excused one minute, and went to speak to him, returning presently with his majestic companion, whom he introduced as Don Leone, a guide far superior to himself, both as to the amount and the depths of his knowledge.