attempt to describe all the mental struggles that followed between the new light that had dawned on my spirit, and the shadows of former unbelief; but gradually my lingering doubts, like hideous phantoms conjured up by darkness, faded and vanished before the glorious Gospel rays. I studied but the Word of God, both alone and with M. Le Brun; and when my mother came up to town in the beginning of winter, I had summoned courage to tell her plainly that I had for ever abandoned Rome and her doctrines. I will not pain you by relating all that passed between us; she persisted in looking on what she termed my apostacy as temporary, and attributing it solely to your influence."

"Thank God," cried Agatha, "it rests, I feel sure, on a far higher and safer foundation!"

"You are right, Agatha, it does," he replied, with a look that showed how far this conviction was from diminishing his estimation of her; "but I must bring this long account of myself to a close. About three weeks ago I wrote to M. Marcel, and received in return a pressing request that I would come down to Valency for a few days. I did so, though not until I had openly professed myself a member of the Reformed Church, and joined M. Le Brun's congregation at the Holy Communion at Easter. I then repaired to Valency without further delay, and learned there much about your family and a little about yourself. I need not tell you, Agatha, why I am here. Ι I had been told in Paris that you were quite happy with your English relatives, and that you had positively declared you would on no account return to France again; but M. Marcel spoke of your life as far from pleasant, and your relatives as being opposed to your desire of taking your young sisters from the convent."

Agatha again warmly expressed her sympathy with his changed views. She found words fail her indeed to express half she felt; but while she was speaking, sounds in the hall told her that an interruption was at hand. "There are my brother and his wife!" she exclaimed, looking somewhat embarrassed. "I hear both their voices: he seldom returns so early."

I

"I will call to-morrow then, Agatha, if you will permit," said the Baron; "but first, I suppose, I must be introduced to your relations. trust they will not be shocked at finding a foreigner by their fireside."

"I believe Mortimer has no prejudice of that kind," said Agatha, as

the door opened and Mr. and Mrs. Courtney entered the room.

(To be continued.)

CURIOUS ACCIDENTS.*

THE SHARK.

In the United Service Museum (Whitehall Yard, London) are exhibited the "jaws of a shark," wide open and enclosing a tin box. The history of this strange exhibition is as follows :-A King's ship, on her way to the West Indies "fell in with," and chased a suspicious-looking craft, which had all the appearance of a Slaver. During the pursuit, the chase threw something overboard. She was subsequently captured, and taken in Port Royal, to be tried as a Slaver. In absence of the ship's papers and other proofs, the Slaver was not only in a fair way to escape condemnation, but her Captain was anticipating the recovery of pecuniary damages against his captor for illegal detention. While the subject was under discussion, a vessel came into port, which had followed closely in the track of the chase above described. She had caught a shark; and in its stomach was found a tin-box, which contained the Slaver's papers. Upon the strength of this evidence the Slaver was condemned. The written account is attached to the box.

THE STOLEN PLATE.

Mr. A., a gentleman of fortune living near London, had his house robbed very early one morning, of a large quantity of plate. His butler was soon on the track of the thieves (who had brought a coach to carry the plate), and inquired at the first turnpike-gate whether any vehicle had lately passed. The gate-keeper stated that a hackney-coach had shortly before gone through; and though he was surprised at its passing by so early in the morning, he had not noticed the "number" on the coach. A servant girl, hearing the conversation, volunteered her statement that she saw the coach pass by, and its number was "45." As the girl coubl not read, they were surprised at her knowing the "number." She stated that she knew it well, as being the same number that she had long seen on the walls everywhere, which she knew was "45," as every one was speaking of it. This allusion of the girl's was in reference to the "Wilke's" disturbances, when the 45th number of the True Briton was prosecuted, and caused a great deal of public excitement. Mr. A.'s butler went at once to London, and found out the driver of the hackney-coach, No. 45, who drove him straight to the place where the plate was deposited, and it was all recovered.

*Some of the above instances were commented upon in “Notes and Queries," a few years ago.

THE SUN DIAL.

Some years since, in the "Temple," was a vertical sun-dial, with the motto "Be gone about your business." It is stated that this very appropriate motto was the result of the following blunder :-When the dial was erected the Benchers were applied to for a motto. They desired the "builder's man" to call at the library at a certain hour on a certain day, when he should receive instructions. But they forgot the whole matter. On the appointed day and hour, the "builder's man" called at the library, and found only a lawyer in close study over a law book. The man stated the cause of his intrusion, which suited so badly the lawyer's time and leisure that he bid the man sharply "Be gone about your business." The lawyer's testy reply was duly painted in big letters upon the dial, and was allowed to remain, being considered to be as appropriate a motto as could be chosen.

THE EROLITE.

Two men in France took shelter in a barn for the night. In the morning one of them was found dead, with severe injury to the head. The comrade was at once arrested, and told some strange story about the terrible storm of the night in question, and attributed his companion's death to the effect of a thunderbolt. He was not credited and was in a fair way to be executed for the supposed murder. A scientific gentleman hearing of the circumstance, examined the place, and found a hole in the roof of the barn, and an aerolite close to the spot where the deceased had slept on the night in question. The innocence of the accused was at once considered as established, and he was released.

THE BROTHERS.

Mr. R., a Fellow of Oriel College, Oxford, was at an inn in Derbyshire, and casually met another traveller, who stated that he had just returned from Africa, where he had been for some years residing with his regiment. Mr. R. remarked that be had a brother in Africa, and asked the stranger as to the place of his residence when there, and whether he had ever met his brother. He soon found out that it was the same identical brother he was all the while speaking to in the person of the stranger. Having relatives in Derbyshire, each was on his way to visit them.

THE LUCKY FALL.

A young lady residing at Clifton, near Bristol, was suffering from disease of the lungs, in consequence of an original mal-formation of the breast-bone. She was what is called "chicken-breasted," and the doctors declared that she had very few years to live. She was thrown from a horse on a heap of stones, with such force as to break her projecting breast-bone. She lived to a great age; the lungs having thus got free play.

VOL. IV.

P

A LUCKY WOUND.

A young officer in the army of the famous Wolfe was apparently dying of an abscess in the lungs. He was absent from his regiment on sickleave; but resolved to rejoin it, when a battle was expected. "For," said he, "since I am given over, I had better be doing my duty; and my life's being perhaps shortened a few days, matters not." He received a shot which pierced the abscess, and made an opening for the discharge. He recovered, and lived to the age of eighty. The like is recorded of a Roman soldier, who was pierced with a javelin.

THE CARD.

A gentleman who was present when some tricks on cards were being exhibited by a proficient juggler, undertook to exhibit something more extraordinary. He took a fresh pack of cards, and directed the company to take out any card from the pack, to replace it, and to shuffle the pack. He then took the pack in his hand, and carelessly tossed on the table a card which proved to be the correct one. The juggler in the utmost surprise and admiration, offered to teach him three of his best tricks, if he in return would teach him the secret of the one just exhibited. The gentleman coolly declined the offer, concealing the fact that he had chosen the right card by mere chance.

Now in all these cases there is nothing supernatural, or even urnatural; i.e., there is nothing to prevent the occurrence. The improbability is only from the enormous number of chances against each. But when any German theologian, or other, pretend to explain a series of alleged miracles as mere accidents, he should be reminded that the chances are multiplied against each repeated occurrence. For example, in the case last stated the chance against hitting on the right card was one in 52. But against doing the same thing twice consecutively the chance is only one in 2704. And no one, where religion (or irreligion) was not concerned, would believe that a sportsman could bring home a bag full of game, every bird having died accidentally just when shot at.

PHOTOGRAPHS OF FAMILIAR FACES.

BY A FEMALE PHOTOGRAPHER.

THE SLAVES OF THE CARRIAGE.

THOSE who are "to the manner born," i.e., who have ridden in a carriage since they were in their nurse's arms, may consider a carriage to be as natural a portion of their being, as a centaur might esteem his equine extremities. They ride in a carriage just as little children born in boats paddle on the water. But commend me to those who only attain such a luxury after their teens are over, as forming a most curious species of human zoology, and one which we think has never been viewed under the particular phase we allude to. We continually read and hear of new made fortunes, the professors of which delight in flaunting in a carriage and four, and splashing their humbler neighbours, and so forth-but what we more especially point to, is that gradual process of absorption by which, instead of the owner governing the carriage, he or she invariably becomes its very humble servant. Talk of the slave of Aladdin's lamp! What were his quickly performed tasks compared to the daily round of drudgery performed by the slave of the carriage?

Like many an exacting taskmaster, the carriage promises fair at first, but so soon as it has put its grappling-hook upon you, see if it does not ride you to death, should you submit to its exactions.

Let us illustrate our assertion by an example. We all know that there is, as Shakespeare has told us, a "tide in the affairs of man"-and when a man of business has entered into a prosperous vein, there often. happens to be an under current of dissatisfaction in his wife's mind at that particular juncture, which leads her to brood continually over the unpleasantness of being condemned to cabs, and perhaps omnibuses, while Mrs. Gadabout, her near neighbour, is riding in her brougham. And now that dear Charles is getting on so nicely, why should she not have some sort of vehicle, as well as Mrs. G.?

Accordingly she opens her batteries. Being well aware that Mr. Atkins is rather a practical man, owing to his business habits, she does, not waste any shot by dilating on the wish of eclipsing her neighbours in the Square, and cutting a dash, or anything of that sort-but launches the sort of missiles she thinks best calculated to take effect upon his particular idiosyncrasy. She complaims of the hecatombs of kid boots that are sacrificed by persons going out on foot. It is much cheaper in fact to ride.

"Then get into an omnibus," was Charles' natural suggestion-men being proverbial for not seeing further than their nose.