rguardian, became devoted to her. However, everything in this world does not go exactly as we would haveit, and no one knows what fish or crab may hide under a rock in a river. For it so happened that the governess was not a Catholic at all, as willpresently appear, and did not vex her pupil with any threats of a nun's life, nor even with an approval of it. It came to pass that the young lady, who was in the habit of lying awake on moonlight nights to hear the nightingales sing, thought she heardher governess in the next room, of which the door was open, rise and go forth on the great balcony. The next night the same thing took place,and rising very softly and unseen, she beheld the lady praying, or at leastkneeling in the moonlight, which seemed to her to be very singular conduct,the more so because the lady kneeling uttered words which the younger couldnot understand, and which certainly formed no part of the Church service. And being much exercised over the strange occurrence, she at last, with timid excuses, told her governess what she had seen. Then the latter,after a little reflection, first binding her to a secrecy of life and death,for, as she declared, it was a matter of great peril, spoke as follows:-- "I, like thee, was instructed when young by priests to worship an invisible god. But an old woman in whom I had great confidence once saidto me, 'Why worship a deity whom you cannot see, when there is the Moon inall her splendor visible? Worship her. Invoke Diana, the goddess of theMoon, and she will grant your prayers.' This shalt thou do, obeying theGospel of (the Witches and of) Diana, who is Queen of the Fairies and of the Moon". Now the young lady being persuaded, was converted to the worship of Diana and the Moon, and having prayed with all her heart for a lover (having learned the conjuration to the goddess), was soon rewarded by theattention and devotion of a brave and wealthy cavalier, who was...
