Page:Awful Disclosures of Maria Monk (Truslove & Bray).djvu/47

45 table furniture, to replace those worn out or broken — all of the plainest description; also, shovels, tongs, &c. This passage leads to —

9. A corner room, with a few benches, &c, and a door leading to a gate in the street. Here some of the medicines were kept, and persons were often admitted on business, or to obtain medicines with tickets from the priests; and waited till the Superior or an old nun could be sent for. Beyond this room we never were allowed to go; and I cannot speak from personal knowledge of what came next.

Beginning, as before, at the western extremity of the north wing, but on the second storey, the farthest apartment in that direction which I ever entered was —

1. The nuns' sleeping-room, which I have described. Here is an access to the projection mentioned in speaking of the first storey. The stairs by which we came up to bed are at the farther end of the room; and near them a crucifix and font of holy water. A door at the end of the room opens into a passage with two small rooms, and closets between them, containing bedclothes. Next you enter —

2. A small community-room, beyond which is a passage with a narrow staircase, seldom used, which leads to the fourth community-room, in the fourth storey. Following the passage just mentioned you enter by a door —

3. A little sitting-room furnished in the following manner: with chairs, a sofa on the north side covered with a red-figured cover and fringe; a table in the middle, commonly bearing one or two books, an ink-stand, pen, &c. At one corner is a little projection into the room, caused by a staircase leading from, above to the floor below, without any communication with the second storey. This room has a door opening upon a staircase leading on the yard, on the opposite side is a gate opening into the cross street By this way the physician is admitted, except when he comes