“Excuse me,” replied Lorenzo, “if I am surprised that while menaced by real woes you are capable of yielding to imaginary dangers. These terrors are puerile and groundless: combat them, holy sister; I have promised to guard you from the rioters, but against the attacks of superstition you must depend for protection upon yourself. The idea of ghosts is ridiculous in the extreme; and if you continue to be swayed by ideal terrors⁠ ⁠…”

“Ideal?” exclaimed the nuns with one voice; “Why we heard it ourselves, señor! Every one of us heard it! It was frequently repeated, and it sounded every time more melancholy and deep. You will never persuade me that we could all have been deceived. Not we, indeed; no, no; had the noise been merely created by fancy.⁠ ⁠…”

“Hark! Hark!” interrupted Virginia in a voice of terror; “God preserve us! There it is again!”

The nuns clasped their hands together, and sank upon their knees.