And so Madelon's questions
are answered at last, her perplexities solved, her yearnings
satisfied! She apprehended quickly all that she was taught, so
far as in her lay, and vaguely perceived something still
beyond her powers of apprehension, something that still
confusedly connected itself with the great church, with the
violinist's playing, with the pictures and the music of old
days, and which, for the present, in her new life, found its
clearest expression, not in the nuns' teaching, for, kind and
affectionate as it in truth was, it was marred from the first
to Madelon by the inevitable exclamation of wonder and horror
that she should not know all about it already--not in the
questions and answers in her catechism, nor in the religious
dogmas and formulas which she accepted, but could hardly
appreciate--not in all these, but in the little chapel with its
gaudy altars, and twinkling lights, its services, and music,
and incense. Indeed, apart from all higher considerations, the
pictures, the colouring, the singing, all were the happiest
relief to the child, who, used to perpetual change and
brightness, wearied indescribably of the dull, colourless
life, the uniform dress, the want of all artistic beauty in
the convent.
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