pal preachers was to deliver an address, and offer up
prayer and praise. The magistrates were greatly alarmed, believing that
such a proceeding would draw down on the city the vengeance of the
Regent. In their alarm, the Pensionary, Vesembeck, was sent to entreat
the ministers to postpone their exercises. One of them, Taffen, a
famous Walloon preacher, agreed to do so; but the others were not so
easily persuaded to abandon what they believed to be the right course.
Herman Modet especially was very firm. He had come into the city on
purpose to preach in the cathedral, and he naturally longed for the
opportunity of making known the simple Gospel of salvation, where for so
many ages false teaching had alone been heard. Aveline had been very
anxious to listen to a Flemish sermon from a Protestant minister; and I
had promised, should Sir Thomas not object, to accompany her. On the
evening before the proposed sermons were to be delivered, a stranger
presented himself at the house, desiring to see Sir Thomas. He sent up
his name to the room where we were seated at supper.

"Master Overton; he has come from Switzerland," said my patron. "Do I
remember that name?"

"Yes, sir," I remarked; "it is the name of the priest who, abandoning
the Romish faith, came over with us from Ipswich."

"Go and see, Ernst," said Sir Thomas. "If you are right, I shall be
truly glad to receive him."

On going to the hall, I was glad to see my old acquaintance; and I
should have known him immediately, though his countenance wore a far
more happy expression than formerly, and he had altogether lost the
sallow complexion of a priest of Rome. I gladly ushered him into the
sitting-room, where he was cordially welcomed by Sir Thomas, and
introduced to Madam Clough and the rest of the party. He had been
ministering, he told us, in Switzerland for some time past to a small
congregation; but at length, being anxious to revisit England, and there
assist in spreading the truth among his countrymen, he had resigned his
post. Aveline had so grown since he last had seen her, that he
naturally did not recognise her. She now timidly approached him.

"You are my uncle," she said, taking his hand; "indeed, I know of no
other relative I possess on earth."

I need scarcely describe the satisfaction with which Master Overton
greeted his niece.

I had never met a man whose whole heart was more given to the desire of
advancing the cause of his Saviour