With midnight watching in the quiet church, With evil sprites." Ion offered his arm to the priest, and the boy following, they all left the Friedhof in silence, until its gate was passed, and then, for no further allusion was necessary to prove how well one knew the mind of the other, the young man asked quietly, "Do you still keep your intention of returning to England at once, Mr. Bernard ?” "Yes, we leave here to-morrow; I came to tell you that, thinking you would perhaps like to see us off." "Certainly, we will all come if possible. How is Willie ?" "Well, not worse, but as to any improvement, that I fear is hopeless, so that there is no reason to keep us any longer here, and the little lad himself wishes to be at home, for it is a weary task to travel in search of that health which is denied; although no chance of promoting his recovery was to be neglected. And even if our love had not suggested it, we were bound to use every available means." "It is a sad trial for your sister and yourself, and a heavy one too for a child so young.' "It is indeed, but we have a consolation in seeing him so patient; he is often an example to us; the little lad has grace given him to support his sufferings. It was a beautiful saying of one, who in early times suffered for the faith, though, unlike our boy, the instrument of the LORD's discipline was man's cruelty, that they did well who painted the Cross Bearer as a Child making crosses in the carpenter's workshop, for He is very skilful in the So skilful, that each cross is lovingly fitted to the necessity and the endurance of him upon whom it is laid." art. A slight sigh escaped Ion, but he did not say how fully the priest's words had been verified by his own experience; he only added half musingly, "And you leave us so soon: how we shall miss you!" "I wish we could persuade you to go with us. You will not, you must not delay your return." "No, Mr. Bernard, not long,-I wish the boys to become acquainted with their family home, I should not have delayed as I have, but "I understand the feeling," said the priest gently, "you cling to the spot where your latest companionship has been. Ah, we all look back lovingly, but natural as it is, we must not give ourselves up to it; we must think of a higher communion. Your Herbert's thoughts were with the font of his baptism, the earthly home of his faith, the altar where he hoped to minister; there too, you must come, to work with us as he would have done, had he been in your position. We may love many scenes, but none may be so bright or so dear as the unimaginable glories of Eden, and our humbly hoped for place beside the crystal sea; and it is in the fellowship of the Holy Church on earth that you must pray to be united in the Communion of the Saints in Heaven." "I know that, Mr. Bernard, but I have not until lately truly realized the claims of my home upon me." "And yet how many claims it has! Think, what a trust is yours! Wealth, position, influence, learning, the five talents, it would seem. If the one talent may not be hidden in the earth, then how much less the fivefold gift." "But influence, Mr. Bernard, it does not seem as if I could have much; I shall go home almost as a stranger, shall be looked upon as one perhaps, and then the influence I might have had—” "Do you remember that saying of Luther's ?" interrupted the priest, "GOD stays the waves upon the sea shore, and He stays them with sand.' I don't want you to speculate upon the amount of influence you will have,-I say a certain amount you must have from your position, you know too, there are some individuals, who look to you even in absence for advice; but what I want is, to impress you with a sense of what an awful responsibility all that indirect influence of example involves." "Yes, I see that now, and it is only faithless to shrink from it,-I will hesitate no longer,-if all goes well, you may expect to see us at Illingham in a fortnight." “Oh! Ion!” and Ken, who had been walking quietly by his side, looked up with eager parted lips, and eyes all wonder, upon hearing the unexpected announcement. "Dear little Mouse, I have startled you," said Ion, affectionately passing his arm round the boy's neck, "but not unpleasantly I think, I know you are longing to get home." "And I am sure that little Mouse will be enchanted with the quiet of our village." The boy looked up with a pleasant smile at hearing the priest repeat the familiar title bestowed upon him by a mischievous elder brother, whose choice of a sobriquet was not ill-defended by a reference to the appearance and habits of Ken. He was small, he had a quiet, rather subdued look about him, owing perhaps to the absence of any decided colour in his hair or complexion; his paleness was more sallow than that of Ion's and his light hair had none of the other's golden brightness, his eyes, indeed, from the contrast, looked almost black; but altogether he was a plain, undistinguished, sickly looking boy, of a retiring timid disposition, fond of secluded corners, where he could sit unnoticed, and read without interruption. "Ah, Ken will always be Mousie with us, I suppose, but he is not likely to forget that his baptismal name is that of one of the most apostolic of our English bishops; he is rather enthusiastic about it, I believe." "Enthusiasm is a very good thing in a right cause. Do we part here? Well then, good-bye, we shall expect to see you to-morrow morning, we start at nine, and my sister and Willie will be disappointed if you do not come. Good-bye, Ken." CHAPTER II. "Yet in these ears till hearing dies, One set slow bell will seem to toll "I hear it now, and o'er and o'er, In Memoriam. IN the drawing-room at Lester Court, late one afternoon, three persons might have been seen, all employed in what is rather incongruously called doing nothing, and yet diversely manifesting their idleness. A lady of about seven-and-twenty was moving from table to table, arranging the flowers on some, altering the position of the chairs, and occasionally running her fingers over the piano;-a tall fine looking young man of nearly the same age was walking leisurely up and down the room, with his hands in his pockets, whistling cheerfully from time to time, and watching the movements of his companion; while a careless good-tempered looking girl of eighteen with short dark hair, which rather added to a certain boyish character of look and feature, was standing outside on the balcony which overlooked the carriage path, and shocking to relate, trying not very unsuccessfully to follow her brother's whistling. She sprang into the room at last ex |