In this way, Burr traveled from one religious family to another. When he had arrived within a day's journey of Trois Rivieres, he put up at an old convent, the venerable building of which was almost a ruin, so that he could not avoid being brought into direct contact with the nuns.
The Lady Superior informed him that a partition wall had lately given way, and was so much cracked and fallen, that she had it taken down, for fear it should tumble of itself and hurt some of the young ladies.
Although it was an object to keep the nuns from the presence of man, and they were, therefore, prevented from seeing travelers who passed by, yet, if a man was to be entertained at the house, there was no alternative. He must be visible to the inmates; and this state of things would continue until repairs could be made in the building.
Young Burr gallantly replied that he was thankful to the accident which had revealed to him so much beauty and innocence, adding, as he saw the Lady Superior turn an anxious eye upon the listening and gratified nuns: "I mean, madam, the beauty of innocence—that beauty which virtue and devotion never fail to confer upon the 'human face divine,' whether it belongs to your sex or to ours."
The Lady rewarded the speaker with a calm smile of approval.
"For instance," continued Burr, "what is more beautiful than the face of Madoina, and yet it is a beauty which is calculated to excite none, but the most holy emotions in the soul!"
By this time, the Lady Superior was calmed with the pious sentiments of our hero, but the nuns, who had listened to every word, showed plainly by their looks that they gave him little credit for sanctity and asceticism. From the time that Burr entered the building, the nuns had fixed their eyes upon him with that eager and intense gaze, common to young ladies who have been immuned in their season of love, and sedulously prevented from seeing man.
To them there is an overwhelming attraction in the masculine countenance, in the tones, bearing, and in every peculiarity of the proscribed sex. These girls feasted their eyes with the handsome young soldier, as if they would gladly devour him, like so many wolves, if they could obtain permission to do.
Whatever he did, whichever way he turned, their eyes clung to him, and every motion was watched as closely as the naturalist watches the movements and peculiar developments of some strange animal, which he has seen for the first time, and which he has procured from some adventurous traveler, at an enormous expense.
While she was absent, making some arrangements for his accommodation, in an upper chamber, Burr turned his eyes full upon the nuns, who were congregated at the distance of some ten or twelve feet from the spot in which the lady superior had placed him.
