The third paragraph has the function to illustrate the nun’s character.                                                                                            Initially, the narrator tells about her through a physical description.                                                                                                                                                                                           First of all, he says that she looks like a 25 years old woman and she is very pretty. But her beauty seems to be faded away. Therefore the reader is interested to find out why the nun looks pretty and at the same time faded.                                                                                                                                                                                                         The narrator plays with a chromatic contrast between black (veil and eyes) and white (bandage and skin).  The narrator tells about her attitude and expression when she is in front of the people; her forehead is frowning while her eyes are investigating the people. The physical elements make the reader think about an insecure and suspicious person. The narrator reveals the nun’s contradictory aspects; she looks threatening and the behaviour exposes her to odium but at the same time she looks like a person who asks for pity and affection. She seems to have a dark and hidden side. The mystery contributes to create an unclear image of the nun into the reader’s mind. The narrator gives some clues that contribute to build a hidden side of the woman that makes the reader think about a dangerous and not reliable person.                                                                                                                     Her attitude reveals her interior situation; she probably had suffered for a previous moment of life. Indeed the clothing reveals the uniqueness of the nun; she is different from the others in the way she appears. Therefore, the clothing aspect contributes to outline the nun’s way of living and being. She violates the rules and the habits of the monastery.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         The particular attention for the physical details makes interesting the nun’s figure and it raises curiosity and mystery.                                                                                                                                                                                                In the fourth paragraph Manzoni introduces Lucia, Agnese and the guardian. The guardian is talking with the nun.  The language used by the guardian in respect of the nun proves the authority that she had among the clergy and the common people. However, the semantic choices and the rhetorical figures create curiosity about what kind of person she is.                                                                                                                                                                                                       Another interesting aspect is that the nun is curious to know for which reasons Lucia and his mother are searching for protection. The narrator characterizes the nun as a curious and strange lady with a hidden story.