as no words can express. Nature gave vent to all the former feelings of affection, and they were parent and child, of different religions indeed, but of the same house and the same family again. I afterwards met the sweet girl in society — agreeable, lively and amusing. The joy at her change of mind is great indeed; she has since renounced the religion also of the convent, and is thankful now that she did not irrevocably embrace a belief which, after the discoveries she has since made, she now abhors. Happy and firm as she now is in her present faith, her father has not yet told her, that the Superior of the convent and the Sisters were three of his friends; that the nunnery was the house in which, like other persons who are not recluses nor Catholics, they dwell;—and that he himself upon that occasion was the Bishop of St. Denis!"

This developement surprised them all, but none so much as my friend Eloise.

"My good Sir," said Mr Jordan, "all these things, absurd as they are, and lamentable too, inasmuch as they tend to pervert the genuine religion of a crucified Saviour, are, in fact, convincing, powerful, and demonstrative proofs of

the truth of Christianity. For who that lived in the times of the cruel persecutions of the first Christians," struggling under all the incumbent weight of Jewish bigotry and pagan intolerance, could from the then state of things have possibly conjectured, that a rising sect, every where spoken against, would ever have given birth to a tyrant, who would oppose and exalt himself above all laws, human and divine, sitting as God in the temple of God, and claiming and swaying a sceptre of universal spiritual empire! Who that beheld the low estate of the Christian Church in the first stage of its existence, could ever have divined that a remarkable character would one day arise out of it, who should establish a vast monarchy, whose coming should be with all power, and signs, and lying wonders (pretended miracles), and with all deceivableness of righteousness, commanding the worship of demons, angels, or departed saints; forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats! In short we see the characters of the beast, and the false prophet, and the harlot of Babylon, now exemplified in every particular, and in a city that is seated on seven mountains; so that if the Pontiff of Rome

had sat for his picture, a more accurate likeness could not have been drawn.” *

Here the subject ended, and other topics of conversation and amusement being introduced, the rest of the day was past in the same social and agreeable manner as the former ones. In a day or two afterwards we quitted the Abbey with many regrets; but in looking back to the past, this visit has ever been regarded by us with recollections of the most pleasing kind. I did not continue long after this at my friend Jordan's house; but during the remainder of my visit I could easily perceive that there was a something, which seemed to be strongly struggling in the mind of Eloise; her reflections seemed to be deep, and her abstraction was greater than I had ever before observed: yet at intervals she assumed a more cheerful and easy manner, and as no opportunity offered itself, I had no temptation again to obtrude my wishes or sentiments upon her notice. It was not until the last evening of my stay that I mentioned my intention of quitting Nottinghamshire on the following morning.

* Horne's Introduction to the Critical Study and Knowledge of the Scriptures. Vol. i. p. 409. 2d edit.

your

My kind friends seemed taken by surprise, and would have made many enquiries as to the cause of my sudden departure, had not Mr Jordan observed;"Captain Mordaunt, as you are aware that visit here is the more agreeable the longer it is protracted, I conceive that some business now calls you away, but as I think that I have learned sufficient to tell me that the ties of your home and neighbourhood are not such as to be very binding upon you, I trust it will not be long before you again come to us; and be assured that it will afford me and all of us great pleasure to see you as often, and for as long a time, as it will suit your convenience and inclination to devote to us."

I thanked him a thousand times, and as we were about to retire to our chambers, I shook hands with all the party round, and received from each the kind and flattering expression of their wish that I might be soon found among them again. This was, in effect, said by all but by Eloise, but when I took her hand to bid her adieu, though she said nothing, and quickly passed her farewell over, yet she pressed my hand with more than a common warmth, and as she left the room, I thought I saw a tear fall from

her eye. In the morning I arose early and set out upon my return homeward. For the first day a deep gloom overspread my mind - it was the day of regret for the separation from friends dear and beloved. He who through life has had no calls upon his affections, and has associated with a few only of his own sex, who may have been attached to him, will best know how to enter into the feelings that then oppressed my heart.