Page:Life in the Old World - Vol. II.djvu/243

Rh admonitions of Madame de M—— and Sœur Geneviève,—for so I will call the proselyting nun of Sacré Cœur,—that during my retraite in this Convent, I would become thoroughly acquainted with the Catholic doctrines, and the requirements of my own soul at the same time, caused me to determine on making this retraite. It was evident to me that I never could have a better opportunity of clearly testing not only the principles of the Catholic, as of the Protestant church, and of making fully clear to myself the respective merits and failings of both, and that such an occasion I ought not to despise. I have candidly told my kind Catholic friends that I shall not be converted to the Catholic faith, but that, desiring to obtain more enlightenment on various of their doctrines, I shall be obliged to them,—that is to say, my friends,—if they will aid me in this matter. The thing is now, therefore, decided, and as soon as I have paid sundry visits, and have arranged my small worldly affairs, I enter, for an undetermined period, the Convent Sacré Cœur, where Sœur Geneviève will will become my instructress, and Père Marie Louis, the Carmelite monk, my spiritual teacher.

When I leave the Convent, I shall not return hither, to my home on the Corso, but take up my abode on the Capitoline Hill, where I have engaged rooms for myself.

“You'll be converted to Catholicism!” says every one, with a shake of the head, to whom I have communicated my retraite; “these priests are so cunning!”

I reply, “No, I shall not; but I shall be the better