not to speak to Maurice or any other person. The carriage-door being open, he sprang upon the steps of the entrance of the hall, and was the next moment in the arms of Mr. Dalben.

"My boy, my boy!" "Dear uncle!"

These were the only words which passed as Henry remained in his uncle's arms, till Lady H—, fearing that excess of feeling should injure Mr. Dalben, called off Henry's attention, by insisting that she was offended at his neglect of herself.

"Come, Master Milner," she said, "let us see how much you are grown, and whether you look as entirely inexperienced as you used to do. I do not see any vast change a little taller, perhaps a good deal taller; but in all other respects, the same Henry Milner. I do not think Clent Green has made much difference."

"And could you wish that any change should have been made, Lady H-?" said a soft smooth voice just at Henry's ear, the sound of which occasioned him to turn round and fix his eyes for the first time on Mrs. Bonville, the widow of whose presence Lord H——— had apprized him. He could not, indeed, have been so long in the room without seeing some sort of dark figure; notwithstanding which he had been totally unconscious of her existence until the above-mentioned liquid tones glided gently by his ear.

"Mrs. Bonville, Master Milner," said Lady Hseeing a sort of astonishment depicted on Henry's expressive countenance-" Mr. Dalben's niece, Mrs. Bonville-"

The lady courtesied and smiled graciously, extending her hand to Henry, while Lady H- was performing the ceremony of introduction. Nevertheless, Henry still displayed much embarrassment, and seemed actually unable to get out one word. The truth was, that he was so little prepared to see such a person as Mrs. Bonville in the widow mentioned by Lord H—— during their journey, that it was quite beyond the power of his discretion to return the lady's compliments with that politeness which he felt due to any relation of Mr. Dalben. Mrs. Bonville was rather a tall person, and seemed to be somewhat under fifty, being rather inclined to what the French call embonpoint. Her husband having been dead more than a year and a day, she had laid aside

her weeds, and was in fashionable second mourning, with white and gray roses in her cap, and a profusion of auburn ringlets hanging on each side of her cheeks: there was also a bright bloom on those cheeks-which, at any rate, did not convey the idea of that sort of subdued feeling which even a child always attributes to one who has lately become a widow. In short, Henry was taken by surprise; and when Mrs. Bonville took him by the hand, and assured him that she had long desired to see him-that she was now more than gratified by what she had seen of him, and that she hoped to behold a friendship taking place between him and her Edgar, who was, she assured him, most worthy of his regard, he could only reply, “ Ma'am—maʼam—much obliged— you are very kind-I hope so too-but I have forgotten -where did I leave Lily? I did not think of her till this moment." And he was rushing out of the room, when Lord H-, stopping his progress, assured him that he had consigned the white lady, in her basket, to the tender care of Sally.

"What is Lily, and who is Lily?" said Mrs. Bonville. "I must know all about Lily. A little kitten, you say, Lord H, a protegée of Master Milner's? Am I to say Master Milner or Mr. Milner? Which is it to be? A doubtful point, I see. Shall it be Henry? Shall I call you Henry? Henry is a sweet name: I would have named Edgar Henry, but poor Mr. Bonville would have it Edgar-an old family name; though how the Bonvilles, who are of Norman extraction, should have adopted a Saxon name, I cannot understand. I call this a sort of anomaly. But, dear Henry, do tell me about this little protegée of yours. Well, I do love to see tenderness towards animals in young gentlemen; it is so rare a quality. My Edgar-" In this place Mrs. Bonville was interrupted by the entrance of Mrs. Kitty, with a large barn-door fowl, smoking from the spit, followed by Maurice, who, since Mr. Dalben's return, had been promoted to the office of footboy, with a complete suit of gray cloth, carrying a dish of mashed potatoes, garnished with sausages. A hot apple-pie completed the treat; and as these three dishes smoked upon the table, Mr. Dalben said, in amazement, "Why, Kitty, a hot supper!-this is an unexpected treat."

"Master Milner has had no dinner," replied Mrs. Kitty, as she corrected the arrangement of a dish which

Maurice had just set down, at the same time giving the boy a shove, which was not intended to be seen by her

master.

"Then I am to understand, Mrs. Kitty," said Lord H, "that this tempting regale is only intended for Master Milner? You have taken no account of me, and I can assure you that I have fared no better to-day than your friend Master Milner."

"I beg your pardon, my lord," replied Mrs. Kitty, courtesying, "but-"

"But you did not happen to think of me: however, I am very well inclined to put up with the affront, if I may be permitted to partake of the good cheer; for I am really very hungry.”

The party then gathered round the table, Lady H—— taking the head, and Mr. Dalben a seat near the fire, looking benignly at one friendly face, and then at another. "I do love," he said, "that old-fashioned meal the supper, when the work of the day is finished, and the family are collected. It was an injury to sociability when this meal was superseded by the tray of cutglass and sweetmeats. We are getting too fine in this country, Lord H-; too fine in our habits. I doubt much whether our intellectual advancement bears a due proportion with the refinements of our habits. If that is the case, as I apprehend, there will be a reaction byand-by-a reaction in which all that is mere tinsel in the state of society will be reduced to non-entity, and nothing will remain but that which is solid and real. Where the habits are simple, and the mind truly elevated, then is society in the best state; and this is a state which is promoted only by pure religion; therefore, if a man truly loves his country, he will labour in the cause of religion. The redeemed of the Lord are the real strength of any state. In proportion as the true servant of God multiplies or diminishes in any country, so is that country strong or weak."

"How delightful it is," said Mrs. Bonville to Lady H-, in a loud whisper, "to hear my dear uncle converse: every sentiment which drops from his lips deserves to be graven in letters of gold."

"What is that you are saying, cousin?" said Mr. Dalben. "Now, do I not know that you are by no means convinced that the sentiments which I express are, in the main, particularly wise?-then why say that they should be engraven in letters of gold ?"

Mrs. Bonville laughed, and replied, "You do not know what I think of you, uncle; it would not be pretty in me to say. But I only wish that Edgar had enjoyed the same advantages of hearing you converse that Master Milner has had from childhood. It is wonderful how much is gathered up in conversation-much more than in regular lessons; and I do seriously wish, my dear uncle, that you would permit poor Edgar to come and reside with you some long vacation. Your conversation and Master Milner's society would be such an advantage to him. Don't you think so, Lady H-?" Lady H- made no answer; but Mr. Dalben said, "I should have great pleasure in showing any kindness to your son, Mrs. Bonville; but I doubt that I may be too old and grave for him, and Henry too young, and perhaps, not sufficiently established to do him good. However," he added, "we shall see how things may turn out another summer: your son is engaged, I understand, during the next long vacation; and we shall see what the summer after may produce. Henry Milner will be a year older; and, I trust, will be more confirmed in the right way. But remember, my dear Mrs. Bonville, that I am not what I was: after his sixtieth year a man's strength begins to fail him, even if his health is tolerably good; and perhaps one who is more in the prime and strength of his days would be a fitter guide for your son.

The subject was then dropped: but from what had passed on that occasion, Mrs. Bonville considered that she should be authorized to send her son to spend a long vacation with Mr. Dalben, though, providentially for Henry, it could not be the approaching vacation. What Mrs. Bonville's motives were for pressing this matter may be understood when it is known that Mr. Dalben had a comfortable private fortune, and that he was entirely at liberty to bequeath it to whomsoever he chose, and that he had actually no relation, although Mrs. Bonville called him uncle by courtesy-Mrs. Bonville being the granddaughter of a first wife of Mr. Dalben's father; hence, in fact, no relation by blood, and connected to him in a very remote degree.

But connexions of this kind are not to be dropped, where there is an independent fortune in the case; and hence Mrs. Bonville asked herself, "Why should Mr. Dalben be left to bestow all his affections on young Mil

ner? Why should I not endeavour to promote my own and my Edgar's interests?" But all this, which was passing in the mind of the lady, was entirely unsuspected by Henry, and perhaps equally so by Mr. Dalben; and yet every person in the room felt that the widow's presence was uncongenial to the rest of the party, for they were all simple-minded persons, who thought only of the world as of a passage to another and a happier state of being; and although they enjoyed the comforts which they met with in their passage with thankful, and therefore cheerful, hearts, yet they were free from all plans, and schemes, and anxious thoughts respecting what they might meet with in any future stages of their journey.

In consequence of this, Lord H-, his lady, Henry, and Mr. Dalben were exceedingly cheerful while they were at supper; and when family prayers were concluded, Henry was dismissed to his bed, Mr. Dalben having apprized him that he had had another apartment prepared for him instead of his former closet. "And there, my Henry," he said, "I trust you will find every comfort-and, above all, I trust, that comfort which you formerly enjoyed in your closet, viz. the presence of your God."

Henry felt almost disappointed when he heard that he was no longer to sleep in the closet so dear to him from a thousand remembrances of his childish days; yet he felt extremely grateful for all the provisions made for his comfort in his new apartment, which was a pleasant upper chamber, looking down upon the vale of the Teme, the horizon being bounded by the Abberley and the Woodbury hills. The window was indeed one which projected from the roof-but on that very account it was the more delightful; for, being very wide, it formed, with the sides of the projection, a nook large enough for a table and chair; and by the care of Mr. Dalben a table had already been placed there, and on it was laid a large old Bible with marginal references, and many notes written by Mr. Dalben. Henry knew how dear this Bible was to Mr. Dalben; and therefore when he saw his own name on the first page, with that of his uncle as the donor, he seemed to be almost overcome with the sense of the various kindnesses he had received from the days of his infancy. Added to this one peculiar mark of affection, he saw all around him