-

who have less of real heart than you, I who alone, did he even then know how much thought that I could trust myself to satisfy she was prepared to do for him. The my mind and my ambition without caring short note was signed "L.," and then for my heart, I have married for what you call position. My husband is very rich, and a Cabinet Minister, and will probably be a peer. And he was willing to marry me when I had not a shilling of my own." He was very generous."

66

"He has asked for it since," said Lady Laura. "But never mind. I have not come to talk about myself; otherwise than to bid you not do what I have done. All that you have said about this man's want of money and of family is nothing." "Nothing at all," said Violet. "Mere words, -fit only for such people as my aunt."

66

66

66

Well then?"

• Well ? "

‘If you love him

יי ! –

“Ah! but if I do not? You are very close in inquiring into my secrets. Teil me, Laura; was not this young Crichton once a lover of your own?"

---

there came a long postscript. "Ask for
me," she said in a postscript. "I shall be
there later, and I have told them to bid
you wait. I can give you no hope of suc-
cess, but if you choose to try, you can
do so.
If you do not come, I shall know
that you have changed your mind. I shall
not think the worse of you, and your secret
will be safe with me.
I do that which you
have asked me to simply because
you have asked it. Burn this at once,
because I ask it." Phineas destroyed the
note, tearing it into atoms, the moment
that he had read it and re-read it. Of
course he would go to Portman Square at
the hour named. Of course he would take
his chance. He was not buoyed up by much
of hope; but even though there were no
hope, he would take his chance.

do,

When Lord Brentford had first told Phineas of his promotion, he had also asked the new Lord of the Treasury to make a Psha! And do you think I cannot certain communication on his behalf to his keep a gentleman's secret as well as you?" son. This Phineas had found himself obWhat is the good of any secret, Laura, liged to promise to do; - and he had done when we have been already so open? He it. The letter had been difficult enough to tried his 'prentice hand on you; and then write, but he had written it. After havhe came to me. Let us watch him, and see ing made the promise, he had found himwho'll be the third. I too like him well self bound to keep it. enough to hope that he'll land himself safely at last."

CHAPTER XLVI.

THE MOUSETRAP.

PHINEAS had certainly no desire to make love by an ambassador, at second-hand. He had given no commission to Lady Laura, and was, as the reader is aware, quite ignorant of what was being done and said on his behalf. He had asked no more from Lady Laura than an opportunity of speaking for himself, and that he had asked almost with a conviction that by so asking he would turn his friend into an enemy. He had read but little of the workings of Lady Laura's heart towards himself, and had no idea of the assistance she was anxious to give him. She had never told him that she was willing to sacrifice her brother on his behalf, and, of course, had not told him that she was willing also to sacrifice herself. Nor, when she wrote to him one June morning and told him that Violet would be found in Portman Square, alone, that afternoon, naming an hour, and explaining that Miss Effingham would be there to meet herself and her father, but that at such an hour she would be certainly

"Dear Lord Chiltern," he had commenced, "I will not think that there was anything in our late encounter to prevent my so addressing you. I now write at the instance of your father, who has heard nothing of our little affair." Then he explained at length Lord Brentford's wishes as he understood them. "Pray come home," he said, finishing his letter. "Touching V. E., I feel that I am bound to tell you that I still mean to try my fortune, but that I have no ground for hoping that my fortune will be good. Since the day on the sands, I have never met her but in society. I know you will be glad to hear that my wound was nothing; and I think you will be glad to hear that I have got my foot on to the ladder of promotion. Yours always,

PHINEAS FINN."

Now he had to try his fortune, — that fortune of which he had told Lord Chiltern that he had no reason for hoping that it would be good. He went direct from his office at the Treasury to Portman Square, resolving that he would take no trouble as to his dress, simply washing his hands and brushing his hair as though he were going down to the House, and he knocked at the

"All the same, I don't like to be caught Mr. Finn, I could say pleasant things to in a trap, Mr. Finn.” you on any other subject than this, because I like you."

I fancy he has, after his fashion. There be cats that eat their mice without playing, and cats that play with their mice, and then eat them; and cats again which only play with their mice, and don't care to eat them. Mr. Finn is a cat of the latter kind, and has had his afternoon's diversion."

"You wrong him there."

"I think not, Laura. I do not mean to say that he would not have liked me to accept him. But, if I can see inside his bosom, 'such a little job as that he has now done will be looked back upon as one of the past pleasures of his life; -not as a pain."

CLOUDS AND THEIR COMBINATIONS. By Elijah | as, for instance, that of St. George, the significaWalton. Mr. Walton is a connoisseur in clouds. He has described and drawn some scores of combinations, from the "plain cloud," to the cloud which seems to pile its masses into the semblance of mountains or cathedrals, from the fleecy cirrhus to the cumuli displaying the most glorious effects of colour. Mr. Walton thinks artists should study clouds before they paint them, a rule neglected by too many landscape painters, and his analyses are intended to help them to the necessary knowledge. The work, though slight, seems carefully done, and the names for the different combinations are happy and expressive. Spectator.

AN INDEX TO THE TIMES NEWSPAPER. (Samuel Palmer.) — This is the first number of a work which it is proposed to publish quarterly. Great labour has evidently been expended in drawing it up. Those who have ever to undergo that most wearisome and irritating toil, searching through the file of a newspaper, will find it a great saving of time and temper.

Spectator.

CURIOUS MYTHS OF THE MIDDLE AGES. By S. Baring-Gould, M.A. Second Series. (Rivingtons.) — Of the second series of the Medieval Myths some are better known than others, but to all of them Mr. Baring-Gould brings the same patient investigation and perspicacity of interpretation. Some of the legends he traces through nearly all the known mythologies of the world,

tion of which, he says, is "The maiden which the dragon attempts to devour is the earth. The monster is the storm-cloud. The hero who fights it is the sun, with his glorious sword, the lightning flash. By his victory the earth is relieved from her peril." Our author thoroughly investigates the monstrous legend of St. Ursula and her eleven thousand virgins, and many of our readers to whom the skull-bedecked Church at Cologne is familiar, will be surprised to hear that the Virgin Martyr is none other than the Teutonic Isis-the Suabian Ursel or Horsel, a relic of whose worship is still to be found in some of the agricultural parts of England, in the observance of Plough Monday On the "Legend of the Cross," Mr. Baring- Gould has brought to bear an immense amount of research as to the embol, even in the earliest ages of the world, long ployment of that holy ensign as a religious symbefore Christianity had adopted it as its symbol. To many persons the following extract will possess the charm of novelty, if it have no other

recommendation: "I am satisfied that we make a mistake in considering the Dissent of England, especially as manifested in greatest intensity in the wilds of Cornwall, Wales, and the eastern moors of Yorkshire, where the Keltic element is strong, as a form of Christianity. It is radically different; its framework and nerve are of ancient British origin, passing itself off as a spiritual Christianity." Mr Baring-Gould's book contains an immense deal of matter that will be interesting to many beside the mere antiquary or student of folk-lore, and we cordially recommend it to our readers.

Spectator.

From The Saturday Review. CAMEOS FROM ENGLISH HISTORY.*

cal and religious prejudices hanging about her. We think that she sometimes mistakes legend for history, and in points of controversy she sometimes takes the side which we hold to be the wrong side. We of course hold that these are serious drawbacks to the practical usefulness of her book. But they are no drawback at all to its artistic merit, and there is a certain sense in which they

IT would be an affront to Miss Yonge to say that any book of hers is a vast improvement on the common history books for children or for schools. Books of that class are safe to be either dull or inaccurate, and it is a great mercy when they are not both dull and inaccurate at once. With Miss are not a drawback even to its character for Yonge we need not say that there is no fear accuracy. Both of dulness, and comparatively little fear of from mere blundering. Miss Yonge, for inprocesses are quite distinct inaccuracy. She has proved over and over stance, tells as a piece of history a tale again that she can tell a story, and she has which we look upon as purely a piece of proved several times that she really under-myth. But she tells it, not only with spirit stands English history incomparably better but with accuracy, as it is told in the chronthan many of those who venture to attempt icle or tradition where she finds it. Or, of more elaborate works. In short, a class of two views of a disputed character or event, composition which-has been generally left she takes the one which we think has the to people who are either stupid or ill-in- lighter groundwork of evidence to go upon. formed, most commonly indeed both at But she tells her story, not only with spirit, once, is here taken up by one who is at once but with accuracy also, according to her own well informed and a writer of real genius. view of it. When we speak of prejudices The same sort of thing was once undertaken hanging about her, we mean this sort of by a still higher genius than Miss Yonge, thing. We remember a former book of and the result was, in the Tales of a Grand- Miss Yonge written, we need not say, in a father, a work than which none can be more most attractive style, but written throughpleasant to read. But, when one thinks of out from a mere royalist and High Church the author's outrageous national prejudice point of view. Then she seemed to look on and his sublime contempt for facts, one is Earl Simon of Montfort as a very wicked inclined to doubt whether it is not a painful kind of body. Now she knows better, and duty to put the book in the fire. Indeed her portrait of him is one of the best things we can easily see that Sir Walter Scott's in the book, while she has elsewhere made fascinating legends have done no small mis- the adventures of his family the subject of chief even in the case of Miss Yonge her- a story so pleasant that we only wish it were self. As for the writers at the other end of true. But the old leaven is not fully got rid the list, their mere names would fill the rest of. Simon is excellently drawn, with the of this article, and charity bids us say as odd qualification that he should not have little about them as we can. Miss Yonge rebelled. "The gallant and beloved 'Sir stands far away from either class. We Simon the Righteous' became a traitor and have more than one quarrel with her, but a rebel." After-times may judge him as they are quarrels of quite a different sort a noble character, wrecked upon great tempfrom such as we have with either of our tations, and dying as fitted a brave and other enemies. Even when we hold that she resigned man drawn into fatal error." goes wrong, she does so in a way in which "Thinking for himself at length led to conneither a stupid nor an ill-informed writer tempt of lawful authority." How we wish could if he tried. Look, for instance, at Miss Yonge would think for herself and the very title-page. It is a bold stroke to would be at length led to contempt of lawbegin with Rollo-he is Rollo, by the way, ful authority! She thoroughly understands only in the title-page; he becomes genuine and appreciates the great Earl; no one Rolf when we get really inside the book. could write of him with more thorough feelWe might have something to say against ing, more thorough power of realizing the making English history begin with Rolf; whole thing. Yet some lingering notion of but how comforting it is to see it begin with the Divine Right of Kings drives her to prosomebody who, at all events, is neither nounce a formal condemnation, which clearJulius Cæsar nor William the Conqueror! ly does not come either from the heart or We think that Miss Yonge is sometimes led from the reason. We need hardly say that, away by the fascination of a romantic tale, as Miss Yonge thus turns against Simon, à and she still has some trace of early politi-fortiori she turns yet more fiercely against Godwine. Here the dictates of the royalist dogmas and the attraction of a multitude of legends play into one another's hands, and

Cameos from English History, from Rollo to Edward II. By the Author of The Heir of Redclyffe." London: Macmillan & Co. 1868.

66

the truth of history has but a poor chance between them.

But we

For

ner of the old man and his ass. will not dwell on matters of this sort. With regard to Edward the First, Miss the benefit of a new edition we will hint Yonge's difficulty has been of another kind. that it is better to avoid such dangerous She understands and admires him; indeed, etymologies as that which identifies "Belga" there is nothing that we can call lacking in and "Wealh," and we will also point out her general picture, except that it would be a whole series of odd confusions into which better if that silly title, the "English Jus- Miss Yonge has fallen in p. 206. The oddtinian,” did not stand at the head of several est is to confound the two great churches of pages. We dare say we have said it before, Canterbury and to make the monks of Saint but we do not at all mind saying it again, Augustine the chapter of the Archbishop. that King Edward was about as much like Then Archbishop Baldwin was not a secular, Justinian as Queen Eleanor was like Theo- but a Cistercian monk; the foundation dora. Wales Miss Yonge somehow leaves which he designed and began was not a out altogether, and she altogether refuses convent at Lambeth, but a college at Hackto follow King Edward into Scotland. ington; his successor was not Walter HuAfter going with great admiration through bert, but Hubert Walter, and his foundation so large a part of Miss Yonge's book, the too at Lambeth was secular and not monasmemory at last forces itself upon us that we tic. "Val des Demes" in p. 21 is of course are, after all, dealing with a novelist, and a a misprint; so, one would think, must be female novelist. We wonder whether any the strange statement in p. 47 that "the Abwoman could possibly resist the romantic bot" of Battle" was a friar," though fascination of Wallace wight and the Bruce, it is not here equally easy to supply the and all the tales which have been told from right word. For "Winchester" however, Blind Harry down to Walter Scott. If we directly after, we should certainly read ever come across any lady of such unpar-Chichester"- perhaps the printer again. ralleled strength of mind, we will crown her Moreover, there are no rich zigzag mouldas a 'laudatæ potentiæ virago,” alongside ings" in the nave of Saint Stephen's at Caen of Adela Countess of Blois. Under this (p. 22), and their absence, as we remarked test Miss Yonge fails; we even have the some time back, is far from being without old talk about Sir John Monteith "betray- meaning. But the funniest mistake is the ing" William Wallace, when he was doing following: an ordinary act of official duty. The betrayer was undoubtedly Jack Short, and nobody else.

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The faults then of Miss Yonge's book are all faults of design. To begin England with Rolf and to look at the whole early history from a Norman point of view is, we think, a wrong way of writing it. But it is better than the damnable iteration" of Cassivelaunus and Boadicea, and, after all, it is a point which may be talked about and argued about, not a blunder after the manner of the sect of the blunderers. Of actual mistakes Miss Yonge has few. very Her work, she says, was begun sixteen years ago, and we think we can discern signs that, as indeed it could not be otherwise, her light sixteen years back was much less clear than it is now, and that she has in many places tried to improve what she wrote long ago according to the standard of her present knowledge. Such a process is far better than either to leave mistakes untouched or to write pamphlets to prove that they are all right. Still it can hardly be done without leaving some seams behind. We wish Miss Yonge would strike out the words "Emperor of Germany," and it answers no purpose to spell "Knute," which is in fact spelling nohow, or after the manVOL. XI. 431

LIVING AGE.

Be that as it may, there was little joy to welcome the accession of Harold; the people were full of melancholy forebodings, excited by the predictions of King Edward, as well as by the appearance of a comet, then supposed to denote the approach of misfortune; the great earls, Edwin and Morkar, were his enemies, the nobles envied him, and stood aloof, significantly relating a story of his boyhood, when he is said to have met with a severe fall in a foolish attempt to fly from the top of a tower with wings of his own contrivance. There is a Spanish proverb which, in truth, suited Harold well: “The ant found wings for her destruction."

Miss Yonge has evidently read, and as evidently misunderstood, a story told by William of Malmesbury, and which has been copied from him by Alberic of TroisFontaines. It was not Harold who tried to fly, but a contemporary monk of Malmesbury named Ethelmær.

Let us then sum up. We have read Miss Yonge's book with great pleasure to ourselves and with great admiration for its author. But we should think twice before we put it into the hands of young people, because we cannot help fearing that it might lead them astray on many important points. Miss Yonge's book might lead them to mistake legend for history. Let no one think