season of religious contention, resort to some milder specific."

"I have two others which are called into play before that one which you seem so much to dread."

'May I not know what they are ?"

"You may. The first is to look upon this," said she, pointing to a miniature crucifix in ebony affixed to one of her rings. "When I reflect upon the sufferings of which this is the symbol; when I remember that Jeanne d'Arc required no other indulgence, in the extremity of mortal agony, than to gaze upon the rude counterfeit of that sign, well may I, or rather might I, cheerfully bear the few and slight annoyances which may fall to my lot."

"And yet, the resource is sometimes unavailing ?"

"It is, to my shame."

"And then you have another in store before you resort to the bracelet."

"I have. Sometimes it seems to me that the spirit, when it is goaded overmuch, will escape from its present thraldom and fly into its exalted communion with all the great, the glorious, the ever-blessed who have shared its

creed and its hopes. I think upon the scaffold of More, upon the last cry of Pascal, upon the death-bed of Napoleon, and I ask who and what those revilers are who pretend to sit in judgment upon such as they. disturbing, as well we may, the

But see, we are

slumbers of Sir Charles, and it is time that we change the forbidden subject."

"Eh! oh! how is it!" exclaimed the waking Baronet, "I haven't been asleep, have I, nephew? What's become of Lady Helen?"

The latter question was responded to almost as soon as uttered by the re-appearance of the mistress of the house, who, moving up to her husband, asked him if he were ready for the family prayers, which, on Sunday evenings, he was in the excellent habit of reading to the assembled household. The answer having been given in the affirmative, Lady Helen apprized her nephew, and then turning to Cécile, said:

You too, will come, of course, as usual.” 'Very well, Lady Helen," replied she, and the small party adjourned together to the entrance hall where the domestics were already congregated, in the neighbourhood of a blazing fire.

When the homely service began Cécile knelt with all around her, and seemed no less devoutly engaged than they were while the ordinary prayers were recited; but a new one having been introduced by Sir Charles, composed on that very morning, by himself, and alluding, in not very guarded terms, to the presumed designs and errors of the Papal See, she arose as noiselessly as could be, and gently resumed her seat. There was one person present who was not so completely absorbed, however, in the pious exercise of the moment as not to remark this change of attitude, and that person was, unfortunately, Lady Helen

herself.

When the devotions were concluded, she approached Sir Charles, whispered a few words in his ear, and having obtained from him an apparently not very willing assent, she drew nearer to the unconscious delinquent and said, in a peculiarly clear and audible voice:

"I thought that when you had obtained leave from your confessor to assist at our prayers, it was with a view of joining in them yourself, or that we might at least expect such outward signs of reverence as the occasion calls for."

"And do you conceive, may I ask you, that you are acting in accordance with any such feeling by ostentatiously declining, as you have done just now, to share in our devotions."

"You must be aware, Lady Helen," replied Cécile, in a deprecating tone, "that I had a strong and very evident reason for not concurring in everything Sir Charles said this evening, whereby I trust that I can have given offence to no one."

"But you have given offence to me and to all true Protestants present-"

"I beg your pardon, Lady Helen," interposed Cécile, timidly glancing at the servants, who were still lingering near the opposite doorway, arrested by the unusual character of the conversation, "I beg your pardon, but surely this is scarcely the time or the place"

"Don't presume to dictate to me in my own house, pray. This is precisely the time. and the place, and I am very glad that those who may have noticed your conduct to night should hear me tell you, that I consider it impertinent in the extreme."

"That will do, I think, my dear," whispered Sir Charles, who from the first had seemed somewhat doubtful as to the expediency of his wife's present sortie," and now, my good friends," added he, addressing his domestics in a louder voice, "you may retire."

"I am very glad that they should have seen how far I, at least, am converted as yet," responded Lady Helen, "and how I for one am prepared to deal with every insult to our faith and sentiments, whether it proceed from Pope or from Papist."

Poor Cécile ! We trust that the recollection of Napoleon, and of Charlemagne, and of Jeanne d'Arc may have been sufficient to sustain her internal equanimity during this little ordeal; but observing how her dark eye kindled, and how convulsive was the tremor that ran through her whole frame, St. Edmunds could not but fear that her specifics were again failing her at the hour of her utmost need. As yet, the whole occurrence had been so unforeseen, and so rapid, that he had been unable to give any utterance to the feelings which it had aroused within him; but now, he could not refrain from exclaiming :