wrists almost making the straps cut into the flesh. My feet were dangling some inches from the floor. 'Oh! oh! ah-r-r-re!' I screamed. 'How cruel! Oh! papa! papa! if you only knew how they treated us in this awful place!'
The Lady Superior, who seemed delighted at my pain, said: 'Hold your foolish tongue; wait till you have something to scream about, girl.' Then old Serena who, it seemed, was always in attendance at punishment time, pinned up my skirts, and the Superior went on: 'This rod shall make all the sluggards turn out quicker in the morning. What do you mean, Miss, by making us all wait prayers for ten minutes? Will you wake up sharper in future?'
She then gave me several sharp cuts with the rod. My screams were heartrending, but they only seemed to enjoy it more and more, and the Superior never ended her objurgations till the rod was worn out.
The Woman in White.
Mme. Hauteville made a very pretty toilette for the occasion—she was all in white: in the costume of a novice when she takes
