He talked a long time about his age，his infirmities，the surcharge of years counting double for him henceforth，of the increasing demands of his work，of the great size of the garden，of nights which must be passed，like the last，for instance，when he had been obliged to put straw mats over the melon beds，because of the moon，and he wound up as follows：'That he had a brother'——（the prioress made a movement），——'a brother no longer young'——（a second movement on the part of the prioress，but one expressive of reassurance），——'that，if he might be permitted，this brother would come and live with him and help him，that he was an excellent gardener，that the community would receive from him good service，better than his own；that，otherwise，if his brother were not admitted，as he，the elder，felt that his health was broken and that he was insufficient for the work，he should be obliged，greatly to his regret，to go away；and that his brother had a little daughter whom he would bring with him，who might be reared for God in the house，and who might，who knows，become a nun some day.'
When he had finished speaking，the prioress stayed the slipping of her rosary between her fingers，and said to him：——
'Could you procure a stout iron bar between now and this evening？'
'For what purpose？'
'To serve as a lever.'
'Yes，reverend Mother，'replied Fauchelevent.
The prioress，without adding a word，rose and entered the adjoining room，which was the hall of the chapter，and where the vocal mothers were probably assembled.
Fauchelevent was left alone.
BOOK EIGHTH.——CEMETERIES TAKE THAT WHICH IS COMMITTED THEM
Ⅲ MOTHER INNOCENTE
About a quarter of an hour elapsed.
The prioress returned and seated herself once more on her chair.
The two interlocutors seemed preoccupied.
We will present a stenographic report of the dialogue which then ensued，to the best of our ability.
'Father Fauvent！'
'Reverend Mother！'
'Do you know the chapel？'
'I have a little cage there，where I hear the mass and the offices.'
'And you have been in the choir in pursuance of your duties？'
'Two or three times.'
'There is a stone to be raised.'
'Heavy？'
'The slab of the pavement which is at the side of the altar.'
'The slab which closes the vault？'
'Yes.'
'It would be a good thing to have two men for it.'
'Mother Ascension，who is as strong as a man，will help you.'
'A woman is never a man.'
'We have only a woman here to help you.
Each one does what he can.Because Dom Mabillon gives four hundred and seventeen epistles of Saint Bernard，while Merlonus Horstius only gives three hundred and sixty-seven，I do not despise Merlonus Horstius.'
'Neither do I.'
'Merit consists in working according to one's strength.
A cloister is not a dock-yard.'
'And a woman is not a man.
But my brother is the strong one，though！'
'And can you get a lever？'
'That is the only sort of key that fits that sort of door.'
'There is a ring in the stone.'
'I will put the lever through it.'
'And the stone is so arranged that it swings on a pivot.'
'That is good，reverend Mother.
I will open the vault.'
'And the four Mother Precentors will help you.'
'And when the vault is open？'
'It must be closed again.'
'Will that be all？'
'No.'
'Give me your orders，very reverend Mother.'
'Fauvent，we have confidence in you.'
'I am here to do anything you wish.'
'And to hold your peace about everything！'
'Yes，reverend Mother.'
'When the vault is open——'
'I will close it again.'
'But before that——'
'What，reverend Mother？'
'Something must be lowered into it.'
A silence ensued.
The prioress，after a pout of the under lip which resembled hesitation，broke it.
'Father Fauvent！'
'Reverend Mother！'
'You know that a mother died this morning？'
'No.'
'Did you not hear the bell？'
'Nothing can be heard at the bottom of the garden.'
'Really？'
'I can hardly distinguish my own signal.'
'She died at daybreak.'
'And then，the wind is not blowing in my direction this morning.'
'It was Mother Crucifixion.
A blessed woman.'
The prioress paused，moved her lips，as though in mental prayer，and resumed：——
'Three years ago，Madame de Bethune，a Jansenist，turned orthodox，merely from having seen Mother Crucifixion at prayer.'
'Ah！yes，now I hear the knell，reverend Mother.'
'The mothers have taken her to the dead-room，which opens on the church.'
'I know.'
'No other man than you can or must enter that chamber.
See to that.A fine sight it would be，to see a man enter the dead-room！'
'More often！'
'Hey？'
'More often！'
'What do you say？'
'I say more often.'
'More often than what？'
'Reverend Mother，I did not say more often than what，I said more often.'
'I don't understand you.
Why do you say more often？'
'In order to speak like you，reverend Mother.'
'But I did not saymore often.''
At that moment，nine o'clock struck.
'At nine o'clock in the morning and at all hours，praised and adored be the most Holy Sacrament of the altar，'said the prioress.
'Amen，'said Fauchelevent.
The clock struck opportunely.
It cut'more often'short.It is probable，that had it not been for this，the prioress and Fauchelevent would never have unravelled that skein.
Fauchelevent mopped his forehead.
The prioress indulged in another little inward murmur，probably sacred，then raised her voice：——
'In her lifetime，Mother Crucifixion made converts；after her death，she will perform miracles.'
'She will！'replied Father Fauchelevent，falling into step，and striving not to flinch again.
'Father Fauvent，the community has been blessed in Mother Crucifixion.No doubt，it is not granted to every one to die，like Cardinal de Berulle，while saying the holy mass，and to breathe forth their souls to God，while pronouncing these words：
Hanc igitur oblationem.But without attaining to such happiness，Mother Crucifixion's death was very precious.
She retained her consciousness to the very last moment.
She spoke to us，then she spoke to the angels.She gave us her last commands.
