If people spoke of her as the Witch, it
was more from habit and half in jest than in earnest. In strong
contradiction to the cruelty which she could exercise ruthlessly when
roused to anger, was her well-known kindness to the poor, and her
charities to institutions founded for their benefit were in reality
considerable, and were said to be boundless. These explanations seem
necessary in order to account for the readiness with which she turned
to the convent when she was in danger, and for the facilities which were
then at once offered her for a stay long or short, as she should please
to make it. Some of the more suspicious nuns looked grave when they
heard that she was under their roof; others, again, had been attached
to her during the time she had formerly spent among them; and there were
not lacking those who, disapproving of her presence, held their peace,
in the anticipation that the rich and eccentric lady would on departing
present a gift of value to their order.
The rooms which were kept at the disposal of ladies desiring to make a
religious retreat for a short time were situated on the first floor of
one wing of the convent overlooking a garden which was not within the
cloistered precincts, but which was cultivated for the convenience of
the nuns, who themselves never entered it. The windows on this side were
not latticed, and the ladies who occupied the apartments were at liberty
to look out upon the small square of land, their view of the street
beyond being cut off however by a wall in which there was one iron gate
for the convenience of the gardeners, who were thus not obliged to pass
through the main entrance of the convent in order to reach their work.
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