responsibilities rightly regarded ever do, while the burden is religiously accepted and borne.

During Ion's further residence abroad, they had met but once, in a brief interval of leisure unwillingly granted by Mr. Morton to his son; and Clement eagerly looked amidst their frequent correspondence for some intimation of a speedy reunion. But wearily the months dragged in his unvarying and detested occupation, and Clement longed for the presence of his friend, as a prisoner longs for the freshness of the free, open air, or the brightness of unclouded day. He struggled amidst his difficulties, murmuring and rebellious, yet selfcondemning all the while.

And Ion at his first glance understood it all, knowing what a crisis was at hand to that eager, soaring manhood. He feared lest Clement might almost have made a wreck of faith; and so, perchance, he would, had there been more worldliness in his intellectuality. And there was cause for this anxiety; for to many young and ardent minds, soaring with misdirected aim, and panting for distinction, how great is the temptation of a freedom too often presented by the Spirit of Evil,-that of being fettered by no prejudices, checked by no dogmas a freedom only gained by the most degrading slavery of soul. Yet how many are ambitious to gain the mountain top, only to look down with pride and vain desire upon "the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them,"-not to gaze from the heights of heavenly hope and stedfast faith upon the far-stretching vision of the Promised Land.

:

CHAPTER VIII.

"Children of Cain and Abel, in one fold!

The brand is now no more, but in the heart :
And He Who reads the heart alone can know."
REV. I. WILLIAMS.

WE must now conduct our readers to the Hall, to give them some insight into the characters of the various members of the Dudley family, amongst whom Ion's sister Margaret passed her days. Mrs. Dudley was, according to her own account, a poor invalid," consequently exacting, peevish, and extremely nervous;-that account, however, we merely give on her own authority, for there were not wanting uncharitable persons who talked of affectation in Mrs. Dudley, and did not scruple to say that the characteristic of the whole family was selfishness. Alice, the daughter, was a girl of seventeen, who might, in her own individual instance, have almost justified the harsh saying, that "most women have no character at all;" and whose only accomplishments learned at boarding-school were the arts of playing and dancing polkas, of perpetrating an indescribable amount of crochet, and having a most general and impartial taste for French novels (when translated,) and an unbounded admiration for military gentlemen with moustaches, who, to use her

own expressive terms, also learnt at the fashionable seminary, were "ducks" and "perfect loves."

The only son, Gilbert, was a tall elegant looking young man of twenty, whose countenance was disfigured by a constant sullen frown. He was clever and conceited, and had none of the timid bashfulness so often attendant upon that early stage of manhood, but a perfect freedom and even scornful carelessness of manner.

At the moment of which we are now speaking, he had just arrived from Oxford with his fellow-collegian, James Loudon, who was in every respect a perfect contrast, being plain and awkward, but whose amiable temper and high earnest principles rendered him, even at the first glance, far more prepossessing than the handsome Gilbert, with his self-satisfied haughtiness.

The latter now greeted his mother, who was blindly attached to him, with considerable warmth, and after having embraced his sister, observed that hearing that his friend Loudon's family was staying at the Hall, he had thought proper to bring him thither, though not expressly invited, and desired that he might be considered welcome.

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Certainly, my dear son, any friend of yours must always be welcome here," replied Mrs. Dudley, extending her hand to the elder collegian, "and especially Mr. James, for he is no stranger."

"And where is Margaret ?" exclaimed Gilbert, looking eagerly around, "she is at home, I hope." "O yes, shall I send Alice for her? but she is in her usual retreat, the library, and of course you can find your way there!"

"Undoubtedly; come, Loudon, let us go in quest of the recluse."

And seizing the arm of his friend, who appeared to have some slight reluctance to accompany him, he led the way to the library, a large, ancient look

ing room, fully asserting its claim to be considered what the poet has said of a similar apartment

"A haunted place

Where dead men's spirits come, and angels keep
Long hours of watch with wings in silence furled."

The walls were oak-panelled, varied here and there by some grotesque device; the deep oriel window was adorned with richly stained glass, emblazoned with the armorial bearings of the family, and near it, deeply absorbed in the perusal of a large volume, sat Margaret Lester, with one arm resting on the shoulder of a boy of fourteen who was kneeling by her side to obtain a view of the illustrations with which the work was adorned. Margaret was dressed in a simple black dress, a costume which in colour she could never be induced to vary, notwithstanding the remonstrances of some of her friends. Gilbert advanced towards her with an air of eager pleasure, the proudly curved lip softening into sweetness, for there were times when he could unbend, and the scornful demeanour he displayed to the world was rarely exhibited to his cousin. Margaret welcomed him with a degree of calm indifference, not to say coldness, while he, glancing for a moment at her young companion, exclaimed in an indifferent tone, without offering his hand, "Ha, Jack, how are you?"

The boy reddened, and drew back with a painful sense of being repulsed; while Margaret, who had noticed the whole, said coldly, "Your brother, Gilbert, I think you scarcely recognize him."

He understood the implied rebuke, and took John's hand, but the boy hurried from the room, and Margaret turning to speak to the retiring Loudon, who hung back with evident embarrassment, a smile unbent the rigidity of her counte

nance, and she added a few words of congratulation upon his recently acquired academical honours. Gilbert knitted his brow, and bit his lip as he noticed this, but when Loudon, who seemed to shrink into himself with shyness, in great confusion, murmured a few inaudible words in reply, and almost immediately quitted the apartment, he took a chair and seated himself opposite his cousin, after caressing a large hound which lay near her, apparently as indifferent as its mistress.

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"Now, do put down that book, my dear Margaret," he said in a tone partaking more of command than entreaty, "I see you are as studious as ever.' I trust that you are also, for the honour of Oxford," she replied; "if so, perhaps your conversation may afford me some inducement to discontinue reading."

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Gilbert looked annoyed, he did not like to meet with anything which displayed a want of entire submission to his wishes; but he knew that it was useless to treat Margaret as he did his simpleminded mother and sister, and he therefore replied, Perhaps it would be too presumptuous to flatter myself so much, but I have some attractions for you in this portfolio, having brought you sketches of several antiquities, so various that I cannot specify them; you will admit that, at any rate, I have been a diligent student for you."

Margaret took them from his hand, and examined them closely, one by one, without any remark, until pointing to a sheet of ecclesiastical emblems, she said inquiringly, "You did not do these ?"

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No, Loudon did, he had more time."

"And greater knowledge, and above all James Loudon would have been glad to point out the superiority of a friend in anything. I only wish you would learn to speak candidly and with generosity