When, therefore, he retired to his room, Burr did not undress, but sat watching at a window which looked out upon a paved court; and he observed that he could easily get from his window upon the roof of a sort of moss-grown portico which jutted out from the rear of the main building. From thence, the descent to the ground was easy.
Scarcely had he taken his place at the window, before he saw some person moving out from the little covered passage-way, and slowly walking along the pavement. Burr stooped down so as to be invisible from the court, for he had heard a low sigh breathed by the unknown, and something told him that it was Sister Catharine, the beautiful nun.
She spoke, though in a low tone. He held his breath to catch the accents which came from those lovely lips:
"For two long—long years," said she, "have I endured this, and what do I gain by thus denying myself the indulgence that nature loudly calls for? I feel that something calamitous must ensue if this is continued much longer. Nature is isolated. Madness itself cannot be far off! Oh! rash and foolish girl that I was! and now I have seen one of that sex forbidden to us—ay, forbidden even to look upon those masculine countenance, so winning—so seductive—so lovely—oh! my heart do not burst quite—"
There she threw herself on the pavement, and sobbed in an agony of grief and despair, which none can conceive of but those who, like her, look forward to life-long misery.
This was quite enough for Burr. He slid down from the window upon the portico, and then sprang to the ground as lightly as an antelope. The melancholy girl heard him as his feet struck the pavement, and looked around.
She recognized him at once as the strange visitor, with the wonderful eyes. He rushed towards her.
"Back! back to your room!" cried she, placing her white hands against his forehead and shoulder. "Back, on your life! Discovery would be destruction to us both!"
"Beautiful, angelic creature! my love forbids it. I cannot live without one kiss from those heavenly lips of yours. Suffer me to take but one kiss."
"Oh! my God!" cried she, waving her hands, "what shall I do?"
"Nay, is not the good lady asleep?" asked he, clasping her around the waist, and kissing her violently.
She answered not, though she tried to do so, but her voice was choked by her emotions, by her heart swelling with love and passion that quite mastered her. She sank into his arms, sighing deeply.
Burr drew her into the portico, where was an old settee; and having hastily thrown up her dress, he passed his hand along those plump limbs those round thighs, as smooth as polished marble, and then he
