The small amount of assistance which her clerical allies offered to her had surprised her very much.

She had, indeed, gone so far as to declare to Lotta that she was shocked by their indifference.
Her own confessor had simply told her that the matter was in the hands of Father Jerome, as far as it could be said to belong to the Church at all; and had satisfied his conscience by advising his dear friend to use all the resources which female persecution put at her command.

"You will frighten her out of it, Madame Zamenoy, if you go the right way about it," said the priest.

Madame Zamenoy was well inclined to go the right way about it, if she only knew how.

She would make Nina's life a burden to her if she could only get hold of the girl, and would scruple at no threats as to this world or the next.