garden-door, where he stood, watching the boys play,
and shyly attempting to make friends with Muriel.

"I believe Ravenel has seen you years ago, Mrs. Halifax. His sister
made a great pet of him as a child. He has just completed his
education--at the College of St. Omer, was it not, William?"

"The Catholic college of St. Omer," repeated the boy.

"Tut--what matters!" said the father, sharply. "Mr. Halifax, do not
imagine we are a Catholic family still. I hope the next Earl of
Luxmore will be able to take the oaths and his seat, whether or no we
get Emancipation. By the by, you uphold the Bill?"

John assented; expressing his conviction, then unhappily a rare one,
that every one's conscience is free; and that all men of blameless life
ought to be protected by, and allowed to serve, the state, whatever be
their religious opinions.

"Mr. Halifax, I entirely agree with you. A wise man esteems all faiths
alike worthless."

"Excuse me, my lord, that was the very last thing I meant to say. I
hold every man's faith so sacred, that no other man has a right to
interfere with it, or to question it. The matter lies solely between
himself and his Maker."

"Exactly! What facility of expression your husband has, Mrs. Halifax!
He must be--indeed, I have heard he is--a first-rate public speaker."

The wife smiled, wife-like; but John said, hurriedly:

"I have no pretention or ambition of the kind. I merely now and then
try to put plain truths, or what I believe to be such, before the
people, in a form they are able to understand."

"Ay, that is it. My dear sir, the people have no more brains than the
head of my cane (his Royal Highness's gift, Mrs. Halifax); they must be
led or driven, like a flock of sheep. We"--a lordly "we!"--"are their
proper shepherds. But, then, we want a middle class--at least, an
occasional voice from it, a--"

"A shepherd's dog, to give tongue," said John, dryly. "In short, a
public orator. In the House, or out of it?"

"Both." And the earl tapped his boot with that royal cane, smiling.
"Yes; I see you apprehend me. But, before we commence that somewhat
delicate subject, there was another on which I desired my agent, Mr.
Brown, to obtain your valuable opinion."

"You mean, when, yesterday, he offered me, by your lordship's express
desire, the lease, lately fallen in, of your cloth-mills at Enderley?"

Now, John had not told us that!--why, his manner too plainly showed.

"And