of Sir Alfred, who placed himself in an opposite corner of the pew, and without giving even a transient glance around, he opened the large Bible which lay before him. Mr. Grant followed, and, with characteristic rapidity, threw himself into a seat, instinctively passed his fingers through his hair, looked at his watch, and then folding his arms, he fell into a profound and evidently very serious meditation.

Dr. Murray's deep, melodious voice broke the solemn silence which prevailed, and as he proceeded in the service, intense attention might be traced in every countenance. So absorbing was the interest with which Matilda listened, that she at once forgot there was another individual in the sacred edifice but herself and the preacher, while every word seemed to be directed immediately to her own conscience. The energy of Dr. Murray's address, which seemed always skilfully aimed at the heart, consisted not in vehemence of gesticulation, or in rhetorical display, but there was an impressive dignity in his manner, and a power in the modulations of his richly-toned voice, which enchained the most wandering mind, while his profound vein of thought, his forcible arguments, and his awful views of life, in all its hopes, its fears, and its responsibilities, evinced that a full conviction rested in his own mind of the tremendous importance attached to those subjects on which he treated, and that, whether he described the terrors or the hopes of the Gospel, his language was that of a heart filled with reverence towards God, and with love towards man. Dr. Murray made a rule to avoid prolixity in his sermons. Everything he did was upon reflection and principle, rather than from impulse; and as his object was "by any means to win some," he considered that infir mities of age, restlessness in childhood, and languor from indisposition, limited the power of attention in many; while, even to the most devout of his people, ample leisure was desirable at home to digest what they had heard by meditation and prayer. Many unskilful attendants on the sick have imagined that if, by administering a small dose of medicine, they diminished the evil, an unlimited application would produce instant recovery; but, as Baxter says, "It is safer to feed your flock like chickens than to cram them like turkeys." Dr. Murray, therefore, was never heard to boast of having found it impossible to stop, because, on all occasions, he avoided vain repetitions, and never grudged the additional trouble which Paley complained that it cost him to "make his sermons short."

When the numerous congregation at Gaelfield silently dispersed, without having dissipated their serious impressions by any whispered gossiping, or irreverent criticisms of the sermon, Matilda rose also to depart, and found Sir Alfred, with his companion, waiting for her near the church door.

"You evaded us in coming here, Miss Howard," said Mr. Grant, reproachfully. "I could scarcely have overtaken such rapid movements at a gallop; but there is no chance of escape now unless by taking actual flight in the fashion. of yesterday.”

"No inducement shall make me do that again, Mr. Grant, because it is only an old friend with a new face that I would avoid," replied Matilda, giving him one of her sweetest smiles. "We have all enjoyed the pleasure of hearing such important truths to-day that it would be impossible to think on other subjects, and there could be no greater gratification to me than in discussing them as we go homewards."

"It would be difficult, indeed, I may add almost sinful, to estrange our thoughts from what has been said. The impression should last forever," replied Mr. Grant, beginning a conversation which continued, with increasing interest, until the party at length reached that long green lane where Matilda met with her adventure on the preceding day. Sir Alfred then paused in the middle of a sentence, and looked at Mr. Grant. "Miss Howard," added he, we visited a friend of yours this morning, who is very desirous to see you soon. I made a rash promise, perhaps overestimating my own influence, in venturing to engage that you would accompany Mr. Grant and myself to see her now."

"A friend of mine ?-It must have been a mistake for Eleanor !"

“I rather believe not," replied Sir Alfred, smiling to Mr. Grant. "We know of several, but the one in question was praising you with great eloquence to-day."

"Ah! then you need not add another word! It must have been good, excellent Miss Murray, who has a kind opinion of every one."

"Still wrong! I should never have remembered the panegyric of such an indiscriminate admirer. They who dare not censure scarce can praise.' Our friend to-day was one who experiences little cause to think well of the world in general, but she said much of you, and more than you would wish any one to believe."

"Sir Alfred, you are infected with Eleanor's genius for passing a jest upon me, but I am become very cunning and suspicious, particularly as friends and admirers of mine are not very abundant anywhere."

"Not even in the village ?" asked Sir Alfred, archly. "Are you going to deny being on visiting terms at the house of that unfortunate old woman whose daughter disappeared so strangely ?"

"I guessed right, then, yesterday! It was you who acted so generously towards poor Janet !" exclaimed Matilda, with a brilliant look of surprise and pleasure.

"Your own experience testifies, Miss Howard, that there is no happiness on earth equal to that of promoting it in others, and therefore we cannot allow you to monopolize a privilege which all ought to share. Let us, then, accompany you now, and though this is the first time we have gone to such scenes together, I trust it will not be the last.”

CHAPTER XXII.

Nor those blest hours on idle trifles waste,
Which all who lavish shall lament at last.

ΗΥΜΝ.

"WHAT untidy weather this is !" exclaimed Eleanor, next morning, after breakfast, while she flitted from window to window in the library, as if she hoped at some one of them to discover more sunshine than the rest displayed; but each presented an unbroken winding sheet of snow, which looked as if it might defy a summer's heat, while an incessant fall of large downy flakes were to be seen, lounging lazily down, as if they meant to settle for weeks. Some of the largest were eagerly pointed out by Lord Alderby and Colonel Pendarvis, who traced their slow, dignified descent, and betted largely on the relative rapidity of their fall, while Major Foley acted as umpire.

"Are you trying to discover, my Lord, whether that red spot on the sky means to pass for the sun or the moon?” asked Eleanor, looking wearily out; "or perhaps watching to take a lesson how winter powders his wig, in case of ever growing old, and feeling obliged to wear one?"

"I was thinking rather of becoming young again, than of getting old, Miss Fitz-Patrick, for we are trying a new pastime. One of my favorite amusements in travelling, is something on the same plan. We have generally a bet who shall see the greatest number of living animals upon his own side of the carriage. A donkey counts four, a turkey-cock two, peacock five, and a cat looking in at a window is always game! Pendarvis and I once amused ourselves the whole way to London with no other resource, when we were going up to attend our duties in Parliament !"

a

A transient expression of contempt passed over Eleanor's beautiful countenance, and with a look of unconquerable dejection she dropt into a seat. The gentlemen instantly gathered round her in evident certainty of being entertained by her lively sallies and amusing caprices, but the young heiress felt for once incapable of exertion. To conceal the

spiritless tone of her mind, she immediately opened a large box, containing innumerable alphabets printed on little squares of ivory, and spread them out on the table, desiring each individual to select the letters which formed any word, and having skaken them miscellaneously together, to exchange them with some one else of the party, who must exhibit his talent by the quickness with which he discovered what was meant. Matilda watched Eleanor transposing and puzzling over the letters EDISARP, which had been presented to her with such a sentimental sigh by Major Foley, that it would not have been difficult to guess from his countenance he intended to express Despair. Sir Colin and Alderby were in agonies of uncertainty over a handful of letters, which Miss Fitz-Patrick had laughingly reached them, while Sir Alfred continued perseveringly, though with a look of sly humor, to decline many importunate invitations to join in the amusement.

Lord

"Amusement! that word must have a different meaning in the dictionary from what I had ever imagined." "Do try, Sir Alfred ! You are afraid of being thought stupid, but we shall be very indulgent at first. It would entertain you beyond measure; and I do enjoy a little diverting nonsense occasionally."

"I rather prefer diverting sense," replied he, looking at Matilda for an instant, and then resuming his book.

"Here is a very easy word, and exactly characteristic of yourself! Now let us see a laudable curiosity to ascertain what that is !"

"Excuse me; I have really no genius for spelling; it is an accomplishment that never could be taught me. If you will believe it, Miss Fitz-Patrick, I always spell philosopher beginning with F, and capricious with a K."

"That is the more surprising, since the last word is so appropriate to yourself; but it would be unpardonable to lose this opportunity of improvement. I shall undertake to teach you unimpeachable spelling in six lessons."

"Indeed you have no conception how desperate the case is. I was always of opinion with Sir William Curtis, who hated the three R's in education, Reading, Riting, and Rithmetic."

"There are no symptoms of your antipathy to reading," answered Eleanor, looking with an air of pique at Sir Alfred's book. "I shall write a volume to-morrow, if you will promise to sit dozing and mooning over it all day, as