Sister Beatrice by Maurice Maeterlinck. Short summary

5 seconds

Nun Beatrice leaves the convent with Prince Bellidor. A living statue of Our Lady performs all her duties so that others will not notice her absence.

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Nun Beatrice confesses before the statue of Our Lady that she is enticed by sin. Prince Bellidore appears. He tells Beatrice of his feelings and asks her to go with him. The nun agrees and leaves the convent.

The living statue of the maiden wears the robes of Beatrice. She performs her duties in the convent so that none of its inhabitants will notice the nun’s absence. Despite this, the other nuns notice the statue’s disappearance and blame Beatrice for it. Those present see a light emanating from the Virgin, who is mistaken for a nun. They begin to consider her a saint.

Years later, the elderly and sickly Beatrice returns to the convent. The woman is on the brink of death. The other nuns do not recognize her, for they believe that she has lived in the convent all this time and has become a saint. The maiden returns to the pedestal. Beatrice recounts her sinful life, expecting rebuke from others, but no one condemns her.