raised, with steps up to it. It is now covered with a crimson cloth, ornamented with various devices. A lady, a friend of his, has given a very large handsome cross, which reaches nearly half way up to the roof. Below it are a number of silver candlesticks and vases, which the young ladies of the church are requested to fill regularly with flowers. On the first Sunday we were here he turned to the east during the communion service, and consequently his back was to the congregation, which had a very odd appearance. Our old hymn-book was discarded, and Hymns Ancient and Modern introduced. Certainly, however, the music in them is very good, though Mrs. Margaret says that some are addressed to the Virgin Mary, and others speak of the real presence and other doctrines, which no honest Protestants would approve of. He has got up a very good choir of boys, who are all dressed in white surplices, and look very nice; but as they are not sufficient, there are some girls, who have to sit divided by a light wooden screen from the boys, which puts me in mind of nuns in a church abroad. They are dressed to look something like them. The cross and the candlesticks only appeared last Sunday, so that I do not know what people think of them."

"I know what I think, that this Mr. Dimsdale intends to give his congregation a taste for Roman Catholic ceremonies and mummeries, and then to lead them over bodily to Rome, or else to make traffic of their souls, and to rule them at his pleasure," exclaimed Captain Headley, with unusual vehemence. "I must get my cousin, John Osborn, to come down here and tackle this Mr. Dimsdale, or he may do a great deal of mischief before people are aware of what he is about. I had no notion that things had come to such a pass. I remember hearing years ago, when poor Tom was at college, that several Jesuits were suspected to have gone to the universities to carry out a long concocted plot to turn the English into Roman Catholics. I remember that the idea was scouted as absurd; but from what I have heard to-night I begin to fancy that there was some truth in the report, not that I think the rogues will succeed, for I believe that the English of all classes have too much love for the Bible, and knowledge of the Bible, and faith in the Bible, to be so led astray. It is only those who are ignorant of its truths fall into the toils of these traitors. This is a rough sailor's notion of the matter.”

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Surely it is an over-severe one," said Evangeline.

"Not more severe than the case demands," answered Captain Headley. "Forewarned, forearmed. I entreat you, dear Evangeline, not to be caught in the snares of the fowlers."

Very little fear, Richard. I do not suppose that any one would take much trouble to catch a poor bird like me," said Evangeline. "I doubt, also, whether any one could catch my brother."

The conversation was interrupted by a lad of about sixteen, of rather unprepossessing manner, though not ill looking.

Ah, Cousin Dick, I am very glad to see you!" he exclaimed, in an off-hand tone. 'My lady mother sent me to learn what you two are talking about. No treason about me, I hope, or a certain reverend gentleman who shall be nameless? However, I am to tow you up to her, and you are to do whatever she orders you."

"Why, Guy, you have grown out of all remembrance," said Captain Headley. "I will put myself under your mother's orders, Evangeline. I hope that I may consider myself engaged to you for the next quadrille, and for some other dance ?"

"Oh yes, I shall not dance much more with any one, so that I think, as you have been so long away, and are so soon going again, I may consider myself engaged to you for any of the dances I do dance," she answered, looking up kindly at him.

A vain man, which Captain Headley was not, might have flattered himself that his lovely cousin had more than a cousin's regard for him. He knew that she esteemed and trusted him, and he knew that since she was a child he had taken a deep and tender interest in her; but it had not occurred to him that this feeling was ever likely to grow into a stronger one of a different nature. No sooner had Captain Headley left the side of Evangeline than Mr. Dimsdale glided up to her, and with silvery words and soft accents endeavoured to gain her attention, but he saw with no little vexation that all his powers were exerted in vain.

"Floyd, you must get rid of that cousin of hers, or I shall do nothing," said Mr. Dimsdale, when he next passed his friend.

"Never fear, he will be off again in a day or two," was the

answer.

The ball was said to have been a great success, and everybody praised Lady Clarissa's courtesy and the appearance and gentlemanly manners of her young husband. Evangeline came in also for a large share of praise, but some complained that she was too silent and retiring, and others that she was haughty and supercilious, while some charitably hoped that young Sir Guy would improve, as at present he was pronounced to be very like an unlicked cub. Poor Lady Clarissa had done her best to spoil him, and had succeeded.

CHAPTER IV.

THE PRIEST OF ST. NINAN'S RECEIVES A VISIT FROM HIS BROTHER PRIESTS. AN ACCOUNT OF THE INTERESTING CONVERSATION WHICH ENSUED.

THE REV. Etheldred Dimsdale was seated in the comfortable, elegantly furnished study of his parsonage, one evening, when two visitors entered the room; the one was the Rev. Father Algar, and the other a brother ecclesiastic, whom he introduced as the Rev. Daniel O'Hagan. The former, from being thin and tall, had a refined appearance, especially contrasted with Mr. O'Hagan, who was stoutly built and short. The latter had a bullet head, the hair on which was closely cropped, thick lips, and jowls with a bluish tint, caused by the roots of the hair kept closely shaved, a colourless or whity-brown complexion, and small greenish eyes, almost concealed by a heavy lid and eyebrow. It would have been wrong to say that the expression of his face was sensual, whatever his features might have betokened; all expression had been completely suppressed, leaving only a look of dull, stolid indifference to all that was said or done around him. One carefully on the watch could alone have discovered that his sharp eyes

were looking out on the world with no common acuteness, and that not a word was likely to escape his keen ears. After they had been blandly welcomed by Mr. Dimsdale, and had taken their seats, Father Algar lost no time in introducing the business about which they had come. XI.

"We understand, dear brother, that you entertain sentiments of affection and respect towards our only true and Catholic Church, and that you desire to rejoin our communion."

"Just so; Father Algar expresses my ideas, and we shall be glad to know on what basis you propose to rejoin the Catholic Church," observed Mr. O'Hagan.

"You are, I conceive, somewhat misinformed, dear sirs," answered Mr. Dimsdale. "I wish to bring about a union of the Anglican Church with that of Rome and Greece, and I consider that desirable end can best be effected by assimilating the services of my Church to that of theirs, as I conceive we already hold all the leading doctrines of the Christian faith in common."

"What! do you believe in transubstantiation ?" asked Mr. O'Hagan.

Certainly, in all respects as you do," answered the Anglican priest.

"And in the sacrifice of the mass ?" inquired the Romish priest. “Undoubtedly; we still continue and commemorate the sacrifice which Christ once made upon the cross," said Mr. Dimsdale.

"But with regard to justification; have you read our twelfth canon ?" asked Mr. O'Hagan. "Here it is: If any one shall say that justifying faith is no other than a trust in Divine mercy, which remits sins for the sake of Christ, or that it is faith alone by which we are justified, let him be accursed.""

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Yes, assuredly that is the doctrine I hold," said Mr. Dimsdale. Very good; and do you, my dear sir, approve of the invocation of the saints ?" asked Mr. O'Hagan.

"Yes; I think that, according to the Council of Trent, it is good and useful suppliantly to invoke the saints, and to have recourse to their prayers, help, and assistance," " replied the Anglican priest.

"As to the adoration of images ?" put in Father Algar.

"I consider that we should have them in our churches, and that due honour and veneration should be paid them. Of course, I mean only in the sense that if any should kiss the feet of the crucifix, it would be in reverence to the crucified," said Mr. Dimsdale.

"Do you pray for the dead ?" asked Mr. O'Hagan.

"I hold to the doctrine that it is right to do so," said Mr. Dimsdale.

"Of course you approve of confession ?" said Father Algar.

Certainly; it would be impossible to carry on the discipline of the Church without it," answered Mr. Dimsdale. "Besides, how could the priest maintain his power unless he was able to grant absolution and impose penance ?"

"With regard to the worship of the blessed Virgin and the dogma of the immaculate conception ?" remarked Mr. O'Hagan, in a suggestive tone.

"Certainly, that she is greatly to be adored, and that her prayers are most effectual when pleading for sinners," answered the Anglican priest, crossing his arms. "But, with regard to the latter point, I must, like the Rev. Dr. Pusey, reserve my opinion. I believe that I agree with him exactly on all other points, and I should be loth to differ on this. Besides, you must allow that it is not an ancient doctrine of the Catholic Church."

"That matters nothing. It is a doctrine put forth under the authority of our holy father the Pope, and, therefore, is binding on all faithful Catholics," answered Mr. O'Hagan. "Perhaps, however, you do not acknowledge the supremacy and authority of the Pope ?"

"Heaven forbid that I should not!" exclaimed the Anglican priest, crossing himself. "I readily recognise the primacy of the Bishop of Rome; the bearings of that primacy upon other local Churches I believe to be matter of ecclesiastical, not of divine law; but neither is there anything in the supremacy itself to which I object. I am but repeating the words of one of the great leaders of the present glorious movement in the Anglican Church, so fully do I agree with them. Yes, my dear Catholic brethren, my great desire is to see the Anglican Church reunited to that of the Mother Church of Rome."

"The process would be simple, my dear brother," said Father O'Hagan, with a smile, and in the blandest of tones. "You must come as sinful children, acknowledging your guilt at having so long remained estranged from our holy mother, the Church, and humbly beseech our father the Pope to receive you again into the pale of her communion, being ready to submit to any penance he, in his sovereign wisdom, may judge fit to inflict. On these terms only do I conceive that you will be welcomed back."

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They seem hard terms, dear brethren," observed Mr. Dimsdale, wincing, "and, however the more advanced of the Anglican clergy may be ready to accept them, I fear that a large portion of their, flocks may not be prepared to go so far, at all events, for the present. Time will be required to accustom their minds to the change."

Certainly! And yet they are terms which all who have been reunited to the holy Mother Church have accepted without hesitation," observed Father Algar.

"Depend on my doing my utmost with my flock, my dear brothers," said Mr. Dimsdale, taking the hands of the two Romish priests. "My prayer is that we may soon be one in name, as we are in heart and spirit, but we must be cautious. Our meeting must be held an inviolable secret."

"As those of the confessional," said Father Algar.

Much further conversation followed on various topics, the two priests giving their Anglican brother what he considered very valuable advice and suggestions. So engrossed was he with the subject, that, had it not been for a hint from Mr. Algar, he would altogether have forgotten to order in those creature-comforts of whisky and hot water, of which, he remarked, Father O'Hagan especially stood greatly in need.

GREAT AND LITTLE PEOPLE.*

He is a bold man who would write a La Bruyère adapted to the present age, but commissaries of police are not by profession timid, and one has presented himself in the person of M. Eugène Bruncamp to undertake the task. It would have been expected that in depicting the ideas, manners, and characters of the Parisians of the present day, that our commissary would have had some revelations of inner life with which to illustrate his instances. Not at all. He treats of talent, of the world and its impressions, of the people and the different classes of society, of great and little people, of the rich and those who depend upon them, of poverty and misery, of political systems and opinions, of public administration, of success, of progress, and of the soul and a future life, precisely as his master did in the seventeenth century, under the Latin names, Frenchified, of Thesyphène, Linéus, La Léstoras, De Syltène, and others of a similar character.

The chapter on Great and Little People is at once the most amusing and the most original of the work, and we shall, therefore, take our excerpts from that portion of the book.

"There is a fact," says the modern La Bruyère," which appears to defy all contestation, which all the world affirms, and which is this: humanity is composed of Great and Little People. The delicate point is to decide what constitutes the one class and the other, and especially to induce each to consent to take the rank that belongs to him. No one wishes to be among the little people, and it is difficult to determine who are great unless it is to assume that those are so who pretend to be so. People are always in dread lest the relative inequality, of the existence of which there can be no doubt, should interfere with the no less manifest fact of a natural equality.

"The great constitutes great people, as the little constitutes little people, without that distinction destroying natural equality. Now, the great is genius, virtue, and utility, the little is incapacity, vice, and inutility; hence it is that every man of genius, every virtuous man, every man useful to all, necessarily constitutes part of the great people, whilst every man who is incapable, vicious, or useless, naturally constitutes part of the little people.

"Greatness is in the very nature of that which is great, as littleness is in the nature of that which is little; it is impossible to change this state of things. You may laugh, sneer, or despise that which is great—it matters not, it remains great; while, on the contrary, you may esteem, honour, and extol that which is little-it will always remain little.

It is in the power of men and of events to so act that greatness shall often be in want and littleness shall prosper, and they may even pass away in such a relative state; but it is neither in the power of men or of events to produce that other phenomenon-that that which is little shall

*Nos Idées, nos Moeurs, nos Caractères. Par Eugène Bruncamp, Commissaire de Police de la Ville de Paris. Paris: L. Hachette et Cie.