the winner in these innocent races. One day, however, the
bishop, having heard of this rivalry on the road, sent for her and
remonstrated, alleging that such "fast" conduct might lend itself to
scandalous rumors, and was altogether unbecoming in a _religious_. The
nun smiled, and protested that she was ready to obey her superiors'
orders in every particular, as all good Catholics and good religious
are bound to do, but slyly insinuated the following cogent argument:
"Does not Your Lordship think, however, that, since our convent lives
partly on the reputation of this famous breed of trotters, it is
hardly for the credit of the house that its representative conveyance
should drag along as dejectedly as a street-vendor's donkey-cart?"
What the bishop's reply was "the deponent sayeth not," but we may
infer that this shrewd woman was at least as capable of controlling a
wide meshwork of business details as he was of managing his diocese.
Now, there are many such women in convents, for the religious
life leads not, as people think, to a renunciation of your own
self-dependence, but on the contrary to the highest kind of confidence
in your own power _when backed by the help of Almighty God_. Saint
Teresa of Spain once said these memorable words: "Teresa and tenpence
are nothing: Teresa, tenpence _and God_ are omnipotent."

LADY BLANCHE MURPHY.

THE ATONEMENT OF LEAM DUNDAS.

BY MRS. E. LYNN LINTON, AUTHOR OF "PATRICIA KEMBALL."

CHAPTER XXV.

SMALL CAUSES.

The frost came early this year; and by the second week in December
the ponds and shallows in the neighborhood of North Aston were covered
with ice that made good sliding-grounds for the children. Presently
it grew and spread till the deeper waters were frozen over, and a
skating-rink was formed of the Broad that bore the heavier weights
without danger. It was a merry time for the North Astonians; and even
the elder men strapped on their skates and took colds and contusions
in their endeavors to double back on their supple youth and to forget
the stiffer facts of time. As for the young people, they were in the
full swing of innocent enjoyment; and the girls wished that the frost
would last through the whole of the winter, so that they might make
up skating-parties with the boys every day, and avoid the unmeaning
deadness of "tender" weather.

This ice had been in perfect condition for three days and the Broad
had been thronged, but Leam had not appeared.