38 THE FLOWERS

confession. The church was set aside for that
duty ; and Madame Bulé made a point of
being in the church with us, although she did
not remain within hearing.

As a confessor, I have, through the course
of a long ministry, heard many awful secrets,
and though IJ am now no longer of the
Romish church, I still would make it a point
of honour not to betray any confidence which
was placed in me under the character which
I formerly held of a father confessor. The
confessions, however, which were made to me
by the pupils of Madame Bulé were not of
such a nature as to render it of the smallest
consequence whether they are or are not
divulged: neither, even if they were more
important, can they possibly now affect the
penitents in the smallest point. I shall there-
fore venture to inform my readers of what
passed that morning in the church between
me and those of the young ladies of the
_ establishment with whose names and descrip-
tions I have made them acquainted. Susette
was the first who was brought to me; and
when she appeared, the traces of tears were
upon her cheeks.