have every hope that we may see her raised from whence she has fallen. But now farewell; I may not tarry longer; but seek not again to deceive me.”

"And never would I have acted as I did— you cannot tell what it cost me-unless I had believed it to be for good to the church; I assure you I would not," said Millicent, with great emotion.

"You should have left that to my judg.. ment," said the sister Allegra. "Another time, do not attempt to deceive one who cannot easily be deceived; however, the motive was right, and you are absolved; but do not whisper aught of my presence here: will you?" said the sister, as her glance seemed to read her inmost soul.

"No," said Millicent; "never, as I love you-never.

"Nothing, you well know, but this errand of mercy to you could have brought me hither."

"For which the holy saints be praised," answered Millicent.

"And now farewell for ever," said the sister, and she turned away as if to hide her emotion; and hastily adjusting her disguise, she left the room.

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CHAPTER VI.

BUT while these things were going on at V, let us return to Mr. Vernon.

It would be difficult to describe his feelings on receiving Millicent's letter, which we have laid before the reader. His sorrow was that of a tender parent; and, in proportion as he valued the great truths of the Protestant religion, the doctrines of the word of God, so did he bitterly deplore the blindness of Millicent to the truth. We have seen how much he feared for her-how little likely he thought her to escape the contagion of the fearful plague in which she was placed -how he had expostulated with her aunt— how he had in spirit grieved over what he had not power to avert. If ever, during her

absence, he had expressed any fears for her to Lady Ashton, she had ridiculed the idea of her becoming a Roman Catholic, or, on more than one occasion, had expressed herself of opinion, "That it was much better Millicent should be a Roman Catholic than of no religion at all," which she believed was the case; and all her remark, when Mr. Vernon did announce to her, that she who had been brought up to protest AGAINST error, actually had joined herself To error, was, "Poor girl! I thought she would think seriously some day or other; Roman Catholicism will, I hope, merge all its long-contested points, ere long, in the bosom of our church. I have no great faith myself, Mr. Vernon, in youthful creeds: when Millicent is better able to judge than she is now, I will talk to her seriously."

I do not stop to give the reader the rest of this conversation; suffice it to say, it was to Mr. Vernon most unsatisfactory. His letter to Millicent we have given at full length. It was the dictate of a heart overflowing with love to God; he did not mourn

in cold and sluggish apathy over one of whom he had sometimes hoped better things: he applied himself to answer her letter: he spread his case before the Lord; his record was on high, and he pleaded—yea, wrestled in prayer, for one who had renounced him as her spiritual guide for ever.

Months passed away, Mr. and Mrs. Kenyon detained at V by Mrs. Kenyon's illness; their return home had been long delayed; and Lady Ashton, on account of her residence in London, Mr. Vernon had of late rarely seen; consequently, whatever he heard of Millicent, was but casual. He had sometimes hoped she would again have written to him, that she would have entered more fully into her reasons of dissent from the Church of England; in this he found himself mistaken; but He who is often pleased to acknowledge the 'work of his servants, however feeble, when done in reliance upon him for a blessing, had pleased to cause that letter to fall into the hands of one who sincerely was seeking the truth, but who had not as yet found it, surrounded as he