Page:Elizabeth Jordan--Tales of the cloister.djvu/43



HE whole matter dated from the arrival of the baby.

He was brought to the convent in the form of a large and feverishly active bundle, which, being unrolled, revealed to the eyes of the Mother Superior and her secretary a small boy.

He was about two years old, and had blue eyes, yellow curls, and a constant and radiant smile which disclosed six absurdly small teeth. He had also very fat legs, a large dimple in each cheek, and a manner which was familiar to the last degree.

Having thrown aside his wrappings and pushed them out of the way with the toe of his buttoned boot, he calmly walked over to the Mother Superior, climbed into her lap, laid his yellow head against the stiff linen that covered her bosom, and, with a smile of sweet content, dropped into a restful slumber.