Having concluded his explanation, Latimer directed his wife and daughter to proceed to the chamber of his mother, and inform her of the occurrences of the last hour; and then to collect together such articles as would be necessary for the use of the Lady Benigna and himself their journey, and in their future residence; telling them that during their absence he should employ himself in writing the letter of which he had just spoken. upon They followed his directions, and when they had done so, Eleonora was commissioned by her mother to entreat him to endeavour to take a few hours repose, in order that he might be the better able to endure the fatigue of his approaching journey. As she drew near the apartment where she had left him, she heard the sonnd of voices within it; and uncertain whether her presence might not prove an interruption to a conversation of moment, which he might be seizing the last hour he could call his own to hold with some confidential member of his household, she stopped on the outside of the door; it was was not quite closed, and at the moment that her hand was laid upon the lock, in doubt whether or not to enter, she heard her father say, “If any arrive who demand to search my cabinet, permit it freely to their inspection; I have no transactions which I wish to conceal from the eye of any one, save this small packet; it encloses the detail of that mysterious circumstance relative to my Eleonora, with which thou art already well acquainted, and to which I may one day consider it right to direct her attention;-to thy protection, therefore, I commit it." "Mysterious circumstance relative to my Eleonora!" repeated the heart of her who had so unexpectedly heard herself named; and sensations of extreme surprise, natural to the situation in which these words placed her, filled her mind. "It shall be safe in my keeping, good my master," replied a voice, which she recognised to be that of old Cyprian. A hollow gust of wind now blew round the castle, and prevented her from distinguishing whether her father spoke again; the the next sound that she heard within the apartment, was that of feet approaching towards the door; and the shame attendant on the suspicion of being regarded as a listener, caused her immediately to push open the door, and enter the room. The same impulse which had governed her in her last action, prevented her from questioning her father, although by the instant departure of Cyprian, she was left alone with him :-She considered also, that a parent so pre-eminently kind, indulgent, and affectionate as her's had ever been towards her, could not have withheld any occurrence of moment to herself from her knowledge, but from a motive of the most commendable nature; a conviction which she considered would increase the fault of giving tongue to her anxious Curiosity:-Accordingly, covering in the best manner she was able her agitation, she delivered to her father the request with which she had been sent to him from her mother. "Your daughter too hopes, you will be induced to retire for awhile to rest," she added. "Can "Can my child doubt that I shall?" returned the Bishop; "I shall indeed to bed, and hope for good repose; I have no fears of conscience to keep me waking.". He took the hand of Eleonora, and led her to the door of her chamber; arrived there, he threw his arms around her neck; imprinted on her lips a fervent kiss, which he accompanied, as was his nightly custom, with his blessing; and then retired to his own apartment. CHAP CHAPTER II. "I behold you as a thing ensky'd, and sainted; As with a saint." "He was a man, take him for all in all, I shall not look upon his like again." SHAKESPEARE, WE shall avail ourselves of the interval which took place between the separation of the different members of Latimer's family for the night, and their reassembling at early morn, for briefly retracing the history of him for whom their solicitude was at this period excited. Hugh Latimer was descended from parents, who, although not of noble birth, were still of considerable eminence, and of the fairest reputation; they were both natives |