I would not be tempted, even for his sake, to wrong his brother, erring and guilty as we may deem him."

"It is not the enriching Gerald Raymond, it is the advancement of our holy church that I have most at heart. Think, Clifford, what a rich endowment the estate of Chartley Tower would be. With such wishes and intentions, the end justifies any means."

"False, unworthy sophistry! the convenient loophole by which the coward slinks into villany. Distrust those who teach that heaven will accept such sin-stained offerings; it needs not the cham-pionship of the worldly wise; for neither craft nor wrong shall dare to claim their reward at the hands of eternal justice."

"You oppose this act of necessary severityyou choose to interpose between a justly offended parent and a contumacious son! Do you not see that the happiness of Gerald is threatened by the rivalry of Tracey? Isabel Talbot, unless I am greatly misinformed, encourages his attentions."

"I trust not," replied Clifford, "for Isabel knows that her marriage with Gerald has long

been arranged, and that to bestow her hand on Tracey is impossible. On the slightest suspicion of such intentions, her father would place her under the care of her relative, the Lady Superior of the Benedictines of Bruges. Have no fears either for Gerald or his affianced bride; both are too well acquainted with their duty, and know what bitter sorrow must accompany any dereliction from its path."

A servant entered to announce the arrival of Mr. Talbot, whilst Father Clifford concluded this consolatory intelligence. Sir Paulet, of course, was hastening to receive his highly distinguished guest; his brother whispered an admonition to the baronet not to give Mr. Talbot any reason to suppose that his daughter could or would dare to entertain even a partiality for the heretic scion of the house of Raymond.

And now Clifford, who remained in the study, drew from his vest an official-looking document. All letters of that time were heavy, substantial missives; and if they had equalled in number those which the penny postage has put in circulation, they must inevitably have required

postmen of Goliah strength to deliver them. This letter of the good priest's was no common epistle; the seal bore the orthodox impression of the arms of some religious community. The contents could not be very gratifying to the reverend father, for he crushed the paper in his hands, and muttered "Let them seek their

tools elsewhere. I will be neither

spy nor eavesdropper at their bidding. Can the holy church require that her ministers should become domestic traitors? Poor boy! It is, perhaps, fortunate for him that he has abjured our creed the law will protect him should my efforts fail; but I dread lest my recall should be insisted on. Sir Paulet will be silent on the subject of our difference; yet, relying, as I know I may, upon his honour, great dangers are closing round Tracey Everard - greater, because they are secret. Is another life to be blighted, another heart to bear a life-long torture, in order that the unholy and unchristian pride of this house may be pampered? Can I, suspected member of the church, protect the

a

victim, should he be lured into the snare-shall

I not myself need protection? Dare I ask it, Lord, of thee? These doubts, these struggles of wavering faith, with head-strong will, are they not the harbingers of deadly evil?"

Clifford flung himself into the chair his brother had lately quitted, and burying his face in his hands, he remained lost in thought. A rustling noise, and slow falling, as of some yielding, heavy drapery, startled him: he looked up; the rich damask curtain, hastily arranged over the portrait of Lady Raymond, swayed down by its own weight, had fallen back, and discovered her angel features. He stretched forth his arms towards it, and murmured, in a voice of emotion, "My Magdalene; loved so truly in thy life, and now so wildly wept. Sweet saint!-if an erring mortal dare address thee by that name-I would ask thy prayers, my Magdalene; I would kneel before thee, as at some hallowed shrine, were it not a mockery which reason tells me must be unavailing. Magdalene! if the departed soul be permitted to sympathise with human joys or human grief, hear me vow, that spite of every threatened

C

danger and disgrace that may affect myself, I will protect thy discarded boy!" And the priest stood by the picture of his early, his only love; whilst tears rained down as though the pent up agony of his life were now bursting forth in floods of sorrow. He mastered this passionate outbreak, drew the curtain over the portrait, and left the study.

And here, my dear, patient reader, you have the outline of the former history of Father Clifford, and the secret of his melancholy, cheerless existence. The elder, and the legitimate son of the late Sir Clifford Raymond, by an early, unacknowledged marriage; he had never been made acquainted with his rights till the union of his half-brother with the object of Clifford's romantic love had rendered life a blank; and then the wishes of his father prevailed on him to enter the Roman Catholic church for Sir Clifford had deceived the family of his haughty, second wife; he feared their resentment, should they discover that her son, the present Sir Paulet, was not the heir. When it was too late for the happiness of Clifford,