To Helen and Adeline, Goldingham's visit was equally untoward and unexpected, and their anxiety was the more painful because it was allowed no vent: they had no means of communicating with Reuben, or even with one another, except by their looks; and Helen, in addition to all her other sources of uneasiness, was under the humiliating necessity of meeting her friend. Emily, as well as Lady Crockatt and Mrs. Chatsworth, without being enabled to explain to them the mysterious circumstances in the painting-room closet, from which she was well aware that the two latter were drawing the most scandalous and derogatory inferences.

"Lord! Lord! what roads be these you have in Dorsetshire!" exclaimed Jeffreys, after the first ceremonies of introduction were over. "I have suffered more torments in my long ride hither, than ever were invented by the Dutch at Amboyna; and if I could find some of your surveyors upon my calendar, I would hang them without mercy, for none of them could deny their evil ways." The company laughed, as in safety bound when so formidable a personage

attempted a joke. It was another of the Judge's drolleries, for he piqued himself upon being wag, to call the ignorant Colonel Kirk his learned brother; and the soldier in return, in allusion to his friend's anomalous military appointment, invariably termed him "my Lord General,” occasionally giving him the salute with a sneering, ironical gravity. "Thank God!" continued Jeffreys, reverting to the subject of the bad roads, "I shall soon turn my back upon county, to give the kidnapping rogues at Bristol a lick with the rough side of my tongue; and I trust I shall be long enough remembered in Dorsetshire to prevent my being called back, at least upon any errand connected with rebellion."

the

"Are we soon to lose the benefit of your Lordship's presence?" inquired Lord Trevanian, looking as obsequious, and bending his head as much as his stiff nature and neck would allow him.

Why ay, my Lord; I believe I have pretty nearly finished my Western campaign; and I fancy, brother Kirk, that I have crushed more of this beastly and rebellious mobile in court,

than you have in the field.

toga. Eh! ha!"

Cedant arma

"Why, I reckon, my Lord General, that I have disposed of a thousand of them, at least, either at Sedgemoor fight, or afterwards." "That is not more than I have myself condemned to death, so we must divide the palm of victory, and have a joint triumph ;-par Eh! ha! are we not, my

nobile fratrum.

learned brother ?"

66

Unquestionably, if you think so, my Lord General," answered Kirk, utterly ignorant what the words implied.

"Talk of Judges," continued Jeffreys,— "Lord! Lord! what are they, half of them, but timid, snivelling, sneaking, shilly-shally old women? I am the best that ever lived, ay, though I say it myself; for I have sentenced more rascals to death than all of them put together since the days of William the Conqueror. Scoundrel, villainous, dunghilly, tatterdemalion traitors and nonconformists, I have scoured them! Good Lord! what reason have the mobile to rebel against his most sacred

and anointed Majesty, who has absolute power as God's Vicegerent upon earth! Have we not had enough of such damnable doings in the days of the blessed martyr King Charles the First? Eh, ha ?"!

"True, my Lord, very true indeed," said Lord Trevanian-and with respect to this plea of religion which the fanatics set up———” Hang them!" interrupted Jeffreys country jobbernolls and dog-bolts, fit only to fiddle before a maypole, what should they know of religion? Let them read Bishop Cartwright, if they can, and learn the divine right of Kings, and the passive obedience of subjects. What! is not his most sacred Majes ty to have his own notions in religion, while they are to keep theirs? The King would force no one. I have been closeted with his Majesty myself, and urged to turn Catholic, and yet he withdraws not his confidence from me, though I was deaf to his appeal, for I would do any thing in his service except abandon our holy Protestant religion."

"I also have had the honour of being

closeted for the same purpose," said Kirk"but I frankly told his Majesty that I was bespoken already, having promised my friend the Emperor of Morocco, if I ever changed my faith, to turn Mahometan. No, no, we are all, I trust, good and loyal subjects; but we will none of us abandon our holy religion."

It was characteristic of the age that two such remorseless and unchristian beings should especially pique themselves upon this point. The King had the same plea for violating his coronation oath; and the people at large, in their furious contests about the letter, were equally unmindful of the spirit of Christianity; so easily are men persuaded, as it has been well observed, to talk for religion, to write for it, wrangle for it, fight for it, suffer for it, die for it-to do any thing in short, but live for it.

Jeffreys talked for some time upon the prevailing topics of the day loudly and authoritatively, as one who from his high rank and superior information felt himself entitled to take the lead, and arrogate the attention of the company; and indeed his impetuous feelings