 The convent is property leased to the order. The rent is $1 per year and every 99 years, the lease is renewed. The lease is now up for renewal. After 396 years, the owning family, the de Cordovas, have decided not to renew the lease and the sisters have 3 weeks to vacate the property. The sisters decide to invite Fabio de Cordova, the sole surviving owner, to the convent to see what good work the sisters do, which will hopefully make him change his mind about the lease. Apparently, there is no fortune left in the de Cordova estate, the convent the only thing left in the former fortune, and all Fabio de Cordova wants is a small place to live. Sister Bertrille offers him the gardener s cottage on the property, to which he agrees. However, he is hesitant to sign the new lease just in case this arrangement with the sisters doesn t work out. Fabio ends up being quite an obtrusive landlord, the last straw for the Reverend Mother being taking guided paid tours through the convent. However Captain Fomento, who suspects that Fabio is an impostor, scares Fabio off, but for another reason: Fabio once embezzled money from a former lover and thinks the captain is onto him. Fabio decides to right all wrongs: to deed the convent to the sisters and go find his old love to marry her.