Church--with more to the same effect, and all with such earnestness and so much affection towards my lord and his interests, as moved me, too, to tears; especially when this venerable man spake of the fellowship in the Church of Christ, one and indivisible, so much was I moved, so deeply did I feel the beauty of the pictures which he drew, that I verily believe, had he on the spot offered to receive me-if that offer had been made in the presence of my lord himself-alas! one knows not; woman is at best a weak creature, easy to be ledbut there might have been one more Catholic in the world; there might have been a happy bride yet, as we may not choose but believe, and as the Bishop himself has often said, things are directed for us; we know not for what reason we are guided; nor can we tell in the great scheme of the universe what part even so insignificant a thing as a young woman (though of good family) may be called upon to play. His lordship was not present; Mr. Howard did not offer to take me to the chapel; and so, with tears on both sides, we parted. Yet it must

be confessed that I knelt to receive his blessing as if he had been the Bishop of

Durham himself.

When one converses with

Papists like Mr. Howard, men so gentle, so blameless in life and conversation, so learned and so benevolent, one wonders about the hard things said daily of the ancient Church; one forgets the cruel fires of Smithfield; one even forgets the Spanish Inquisition itself. It is not till afterwards that one asks if it would be possible, even for the sake of a lover, to belong to a Church which yearly tortures and strangles and burns men whose only crime is to think for themselves. How can these things be? How can the same Church produce at once, in the same generation, such a man as Mr. Howard and such as the Grand Inquisitor? Then Frank Radcliffe came.

'I am right sorry you are going,' he said. The place will be dull without you, Dorothy. My lord will hang his head and mope. I shall have no one to talk with. But you will come back soon. Promise me that, Dorothy. You know very well what I mean. Come back and make us all happy.'

'Indeed,' said I; 'would my coming back make you all happy?'

First,' he said, it would make my brother happy, because he is in love with you; next, me, because I love you too, and just as well, but a man must give way to his elder brother; next, because Charles also loves you, and swears he is your knight till death; and next, on account of my aunts, who will be happy if the Earl is happy. All of us, fair Dorothy.'

But, Frank-it is good of you to say this -but remember that I know not what my lord may intend; and if it were as you say, there would be much to consider.'

'Oh, the Mass-the Mass!' he replied impatiently. When one is brought up in the Fold, one troubles one's head little about these things. To give up the Church would be a great thing, but surely there can be no trouble about coming back to it.'

This shows how prejudiced the mind may become, when accustomed to the pretensions of Rome. But I was better brought up.

It cannot be denied that the contemplation of this amiable family, all combined in pressing upon me to accept what I most of all

things in the world desired to obtain, was very moving to me; and when Lord Derwentwater himself conversed with me on the subject, I was, I now confess, ready to yield unconditional submission. If men only knew the weakness of women, they could make them say or do what they please. But perhaps men themselves are not so strong as they seem to be. Indeed, that must be so.

'Fair Daphne,' my lover began, 'it is sad indeed to think that to-morrow thou must go from us. The sun will shine no more in Dilston.'

Oh, my lord,' I said, 'do not talk any more the language of gallantry; you have spoiled me enough. I am but plain Tom Forster's sister, and in Northumberland we are not accustomed to your fine French compliments. Let me, however, thank your lordship for your very great kindness both to my brother and to myself.'

'Let there be no longer, then,' he said, and as he spoke his beautiful eyes grew so soft and his voice so sweet that oh! my heart melted clean away, and I could have fallen at his feet, even like Esther at the

VOL. II.

27

feet of the great King, and that without shame let there be no longer compliments between us. You shall be no more the nymph Daphne; you shall be, what you are, only Tom Forster's sister-only the beautiful and incomparable Dorothy, whom I love.'

'Oh, my lord! Think-I am no great lady of fashion-you would be ashamed of your rustic passion in a week.'

'Ashamed! Why, Dorothy, with their paint and patches and powder, there is not, believe me, in all Versailles and Paris, to say nothing of London, which I know not-there is nowhere, I swear, a woman fit to hold a candle beside so sweet a face as yours. My dear, thou art-no, I will not make any more compliments. But, Dorothy, I love thee.' And with that he fell upon his knee, and began to kiss my hand, murmuring softly, I love thee, my dear-I love thee with all my heart.'

'Oh, my lord!' I repeated, the fatal words having been spoken, overwhelmed with a kind of terror and awe and shame, because why should he love me so much? 'You