My aunt frowned, apparently not much liking the proposition. “Well! I grant permission on strict condition that you do not neglect chapel or any of your other duties, and that you bring my niece to my room for vespers, as she must sup with her mother and me.”

“Your commands shall be punctually obeyed, Madam,” replied Emilie making a low reverence. Then she took me by the hand and we left the room together.

As we went down the corridor, she broke into a short laugh and said, “The Abbess is quite jealous; she guesses something about you, and if it had not been for my happy idea of introducing you to the other novices, I should not have been able to enjoy the pleasure of your society, certainly not alone. But I will bring you into the company of Louise and Adele, who are pretty playful girls, and almost as lascivious as I am.” She stopped for a moment and faced me, a knowing smile on her beautiful face. “By the way, I hope you do not consider it immoral to sleep with your aunt; for she most certainly will make you do so tonight. If all accounts are true, she'll give you such a sampling of voluptuous and even obscene lust that it's likely you'll never forget it. The scene you just witnessed in the penance room is nothing to what you will experience.” We continued walking and arrived at one of the young lady's rooms.

“Adele and Louise, my dears, here is Mademoiselle Augustine d'Ermonville, whom the Superior has allowed me to bring here as an addition to our society this afternoon.”

Both of the pretty girls who had been sitting at embroidery frames rose from their seats and kissed me warmly on the cheeks.

“We had better make the most of her company, for her aunt, the Abbess, fancies there is something manly in her appearance,” said Emilie.

“So there is,” exclaimed the two girls together.