rebellion. What
American, what republican, then, of spirit or intelligence, can for an
hour profess himself a follower in religion of such a fanatic as Wesley,
with this well-known fact staring him in the face? How noble the conduct
of Catholic France, or Catholic Ireland, when compared with Protestant
England or Protestant Germany, at the time of the revolution! The two
former Catholic nations sent their men, ships, money, clothing, and
provisions, to aid your insurgent ancestors; Germany and England sent
their armed vessels, their cannon, and their hireling soldiery, to burn
the homesteads, desolate the fields, and murder the wives and children
of your forefathers."

"I am afraid, Murt," she said, "you will convert me to your notions."
This was said with a tenderness that could not be mistaken.

"I fear not, miss; you are too old for that," said he, meaningly.

"I am not so very old as you suppose. I am not so old as uncle Jacob,
yet," she said, perceiving that her meaning was understood by Murty;
"and he became a Papist before he died."

"God gave him the grace, and I pray that you may receive a like grace;
but I suppose you allude to a different sort of conversion?" said he.

The truth was, Amanda, having failed to secure the permanent regard of
any of her numerous admirers, was foolish enough, as most old maids are,
to suppose that some green, young, inexperienced lover would be most
likely to be caught in her net. Hence she had her mind fixed on Murty,
whom she regarded, as he really was, a young man of talent, and whose
dependent and menial condition she considered as calculated to balance
the disparity in their age, and as likely to insure her success. This
was why she felt so mortified at being detected by him in her late
attempt on the faith and resolution of Bridget, having, since her
designs on Murty, promised to let the orphans have their own way, after
having attempted to convince him that she was quite indifferent on the
subject of religion, and "that she would be very glad to know more from
him about the Catholic church."

The detection of her insincerity in this instance, and of the falsity
of her professions, put an end to all her further hopes regarding the
gallant young Irishman, who could not tolerate a falsehood in any body,
but especially in a lady, and who ever after avoided her society as much
as possible. His presence, however, in the house was a sure guaranty to
Bridget of full religiou