to Clara; "you might get Mary to speak to her
father and warn him, for he seemed as much pleased with the strangers as
Sir Reginald and Lady Bygrave. I hold with my father about them; and I
would as soon trust a couple of serpents within my doors."

"Are you not rather severe on the poor men?" asked Clara.

"Knowing their principles and their great object--to bring under
subjection the minds of their fellow-creatures, and thus to amass wealth
for the purpose of raising their order above all the ruling powers on
earth--I cannot say anything too severe. To attain their ends they will
allow nothing to stand in their way; they will hesitate at no crime, no
deceit; they will assume any character which suits them, and will
undertake the lowest offices, and will employ the vilest means, or will
pretend to the most exalted piety."

"Surely, Harry, the men we saw to-day could not be guilty of such
conduct," said Clara.

"Every Jesuit is trained in the same school, and I therefore make no
exceptions," answered Harry. "We shall find that even those gentlemen,
fascinating as they appeared, had some object in visiting Sir Reginald,
ulterior to that of presenting him with a scheme of colonisation. He is
wealthy; and depend on it, they were informed of the proclivities of
Lady Bygrave."

Clara was not quite convinced. It was not likely, however, that the
abbe and his companion would pay a visit to Luton.

CHAPTER TWO.

Harry had gone. Clara felt very sad; her eye was constantly at the
telescope in the drawing-room, looking out for the steamer which was
conveying him to Alexandria. She at length caught sight of a long white
line and a puff of grey smoke above it, which she believed must belong
to the ship. She was still watching it as it was growing less and less
distinct, when her aunt, entering the room, said, "I am afraid that your
father is very ill. I went into his study just now; when I spoke to
him, he was unable to answer me."

Clara flew to the study, and found her father seated in his arm-chair.
There was a pained expression in his eyes, and he was speechless. He
had been seized with a paralytic stroke. The servant was immediately
despatched to bring the doctor, who was found not far off, and quickly
came. He pronounced the captain to be in considerable danger. Clara,
ever dutiful and affectionate, was constant in her attendance on her
father. Even Miss Pemberton's manner softened, and she did her