et, unless the Most High would change your heart, I could pray that
this wealth might not be yours. Oh, my son, let me beseech you to humble
yourself before His throne, and ask His grace and assistance."

But Charles, or as we may now call him, the young Lord Sereton, at no
time rendered anything but lip service to his God. It is easy enough to
do this, though such prayers never mount to heaven, but fall back to the
earth from which they spring. Prayers, to be acceptable to God, must
arise from a devout frame of mind, and be accompanied by a diligent
endeavour to acquire that grace for which we ask, while by our actions we
must show the sincerity of our hearts. "That ye cannot serve two
masters," was fully illustrated in his case; and he, the slave of Mammon,
was lured on with the vain expectation that his new wealth would bring
happiness!

Of course, during the minority of the young lord, the guardians whom the
law appointed took care of his property and estates; but, boy as he was,
large sums of money were still at his disposal, and he was old enough to
have considerable influence with those who had legal authority over his
fortune. His treasures, however, were a sort of "enchanted wealth,"
which, as he used it, or rather did not use it, was as valueless as a bag
of gold to the thirsty traveller in the desert, who cannot procure with
it a glass of water; and certainly happiness, according to Charles's
plan, was as completely out of his reach.

As he rode or walked over his estates, no face was there which lighted up
with grateful pleasure, as would have been the case at the approach of a
generous and kind young landlord; no, he was miserable himself, because
he never attempted to make others happy. Tutors were to a certain degree
forced upon him by his guardians, or I really believe he would have
neglected to pursue those studies which he before followed, much more as
the means of acquiring future wealth, than for love of themselves.

And so time passed on, Mrs. Sidney often spending a week or month at her
sister's pretty cottage, where, surrounded by the kind-hearted generous
family, she could not but contrast that happy home with the splendid
misery of Sereton Hall; an abode rendered melancholy to her by its young
owner's selfish and avaricious nature.

It had been the custom for many generations, on the coming of age of the
lord or heir of Sereton Hall, to have a general feasting and merry-making
among th