nge. Yours faithfully,

'ESKDALE.

'Wednesday morning.'

The hall clock had commenced the quarter chimes, when a young man,
fair and intelligent, and wearing spectacles, came into the hall, and,
opening the door of the waiting-room, looked as if he expected to find
some one there; then, turning to the porter, he said, 'Where is Lord
Montacute?'

The porter rose from his hooded chair, and put down the newspaper, but
Tancred had advanced when he heard his name, and bowed, and followed the
young man in spectacles, who invited Tancred to accompany him.

Tancred was ushered into a spacious and rather long apartment, panelled
with old oak up to the white coved ceiling, which was richly ornamented.
Four windows looked upon the fountain and the plane tree. A portrait by
Lawrence, evidently of the same individual who had furnished the model
to Chantrey, was over the high, old-fashioned, but very handsome marble
mantel-piece. A Turkey carpet, curtains of crimson damask, some large
tables covered with papers, several easy chairs, against the walls some
iron cabinets, these were the furniture of the room, at one corner of
which was a glass door, which led to a vista of apartments fitted up as
counting-houses, filled with clerks, and which, if expedient, might be
covered by a baize screen, which was now unclosed.

A gentleman writing at a table rose as he came in, and extending his
hand said, as he pointed to a seat, 'I am afraid I have made you come
out at an unusual hour.'

The young man in spectacles in the meanwhile retired; Tancred had bowed
and murmured his compliments: and his host, drawing his chair a little
from the table, continued: 'Lord Eskdale tells me that you have some
thoughts of going to Jerusalem.'

'I have for some time had that intention.'

'It is a pity that you did not set out earlier in the year, and then you
might have been there during the Easter pilgrimage. It is a fine sight.'

'It is a pity,' said Tancred; 'but to reach Jerusalem is with me an
object of so much moment, that I shall be content to find myself there
at any time, and under any circumstances.'

'It is no longer difficult to reach Jerusalem; the real difficulty is
the one experienced by the crusaders, to know what to do when you have
arrived there.'

'It is the land of inspiration,' said Tancred, slightly blushing; 'and
when I am there, I would humbly pray that my course may be indicated to
me.'

'And you think that no prayer