of earth: 'Weep, for I sought to
emancipate you from opprobrium by making one of you a gentleman; I
fought for a great principle and have failed.' Heroic to the end, she
herself shed all the tears; took all the sorrow.

Where was consolation? Would any Protestant clergyman administer comfort
to her? Could he? might he do so? He might listen, and quote texts;
but he would demand the harsh rude English for everything; and the
Countess's confessional thoughts were all innuendoish, aerial; too
delicate to live in our shameless tongue. Confession by implication, and
absolution; she could know this to be what she wished for, and yet not
think it. She could see a haven of peace in that picture of the little
brown box with the sleekly reverend figure bending his ear to the
kneeling Beauty outside, thrice ravishing as she half-lifts the veil of
her sins and her visage!--yet she started alarmed to hear it whispered
that the fair penitent was the Countess de Saldar; urgently she prayed
that no disgraceful brother might ever drive her to that!

Never let it be a Catholic priest!--she almost fashioned her petition
into words. Who was to save her? Alas! alas! in her dire distress--in
her sense of miserable pennilessness, she clung to Mr. John Raikes,
of the curricle, the mysteriously rich young gentleman; and on that
picture, with Andrew roguishly contemplating it, and Evan, with
feelings regarding his sister that he liked not to own, the curtain
commiseratingly drops.

As in the course of a stream you come upon certain dips, where, but
here and there, a sparkle or a gloom of the full flowing water is caught
through deepening foliage, so the history that concerns us wanders out
of day for a time, and we must violate the post and open written leaves
to mark the turn it takes.

First we have a letter from Mr. Goren to Mrs. Mel, to inform her that
her son has arrived and paid his respects to his future instructor in
the branch of science practised by Mr. Goren.

'He has arrived at last,' says the worthy tradesman. 'His appearance
in the shop will be highly gentlemanly, and when he looks a little more
pleasing, and grows fond of it, nothing will be left to be desired. The
ladies, his sisters, have not thought proper to call. I had hopes of
the custom of Mr. Andrew Cogglesby. Of course you wish him to learn
tailoring thoroughly?'

Mrs. Mel writes back, thanking Mr. Goren, and saying that 'she had shown
the letter to inquiring cred