CHAPTER VIII.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume V, Issue 217, 22 June 1877, Page 1

CHAPTER VIII.

" But there are some Lutheran baits, by which the devil propigataa his kingdom and inveigles many in your speare. What are they ! Gold, glory, delights, pleasures : contemu them. For what else are they than the scam of the esrth, a hoarse air, a feast of the worms, specious, dunghills t DespUe them. Christ is full ; He will leed us ;He is Kirn; who w ill honour us ; He is rich who will endow us ■with all felicity."— Edmcnd Cami-iax. Very early the following morning, Walter went out. He roused the slumbering porter, and passed through the gates, and in a few minutes leaded the high road. The sun was hardly risen, and the air wm keen, and refreshe I him as it blew on his aching br>«r and fevered cheeks, ilia mind was in a very tumult. • Every sudden passion con* tended fiercely witbiu, and the long warfare- of the night seemed only t > rage more wildly. Spirit*, gooJ and evil, still battled round hitn. He took no heed of surrounding objects, and whs unconscious tliat a rough-looking peasant who had advanced towards him from tha opposite quarter, had been scanning his features with the utmost interest. He started when the man spoke. " God save your honour, may this be the way to Apswell Court ?" "It is hard by," said Walter ; " but you keep early hours, my friend, and I doubt me whether you wiil find the porter willing to attend you." " Perhaps," answered the man, " you- honour would condescend to tell me if there is a young noblemiu called De Lisle tarrying at the court ?"

"You speak with him," said Walter, hastily, forgetting hi his surprise the caution of the times. The peasant bowed, and taking a letter from hi» vest, presented it to Walter.

The handwriting, which was a female one, was unknown to htm j he eagerly opened it and turned to the sigaature j it was from Amy Travers— his mother's dear and early friend. " I cannot bring Amelf to believe," ebo wrote " fhat %o many letters of muje a^dreaicd wjou,

could remain unanswered if they have reached you, and I therefore despatch this by a trusty messenger, who will deliver it into the hands of none save yourself. " We are at Morris House, not seven miles distant, and greatly do I desire to sco you, for the child of my well-loved Alice, and the companion of my boys is ever dear to my heart. We tarry here not much longer ; come without delay. I beseech you." Walter's present mood was a ripe one for indignation ; to havo his letters intercepted, as he now well understood they were, was an inp"U lie could not brook. He turned to retrace his steps to Apswell fl^> and perceived the messenger awaiting an answer. tfT" Did you divine 'twas I when you met me ?" demanded he. " Yes, my lord ; an' it please you, these are limes when a man's eyes had need to be sharp. lam an old servant in the Travers (amily, and well knew I the late Baron and Baroness De Lisle, — God rest their souls! — and I traced the likeness in your face, my lord, as I came near you, and I thought some good angel had sent you thus early in my way, for it would have been a hard business at the court, I reckon." " I might as well be a prisoner, at once," said Walter, angrily, to himself 5 " I will let Lord Beauville see how far I can be schooled." " Return to Lady Travers," Bnid he aloud, " and say I will be with her anon. I thank thee, friend, for the service thou hast done me ;" and Walter offered all the money he hud about him for the messenger's acceptance, but it was sturdily refused, and the man eet out with all speed on bis journey home, while Walter returned to Apswell Court. It created no surprise among the grooms when Walter ordered his horse and rode out, for he was frequently accustomed to do so at that hour. Walter rode quickly, and he was glad, in the rapid motion, to lose some sense of the acln'ng thoughts that had filled his mind. He was very pleased at the prospect of his visit ; the name of Amy Travers had been mentioned in that one memorable conversation with his mother, and the thought of seeing old friends who knew nothing of his present struggle, and would take him away from it, as it were, comforted him ; and the delay of the hour of decision delight? d him, as it ever does, when we want to make our will and God's will agree together. Warm was the greeting from Sir John Travers, while his lady clasped Walter in her arms as though he had been her own child. " I will leave you alone," said Sir John, smiling, " for I know you have much to say ;" and he quitted the room. Tliere was no trace of early beauty left, on the pale, worn face of Lady Travers. only the sweetness or placid calm of a spirit resigned amidst privations, content amidst trials. Neither of Walter's college companions was thete. Basil was at Rome, about to receive priest's orders, and William was at the usual residence of the family. "But we," s.iid Lidy Travers, "are frequently obliged to change our residence to escape from the spying which is carried on. Truly our homes are no longer our own. We are itnpoveii-'hed, too, wnh the heavy fines that are laid on us. We have had to dismiss many of our servants, and William," continued she, "hath to labour baid ia looking over the estate*." " What »re these fines ?" inquired Walter ; " I feel as if I were ignorant of all that go s 01 now." "Every Sunday we do not go to church, we are fined twelve marks each person; then, by another Act, evt ry month twenty ma^k-, and if it can be proved that we are absent twelve months, then it 13 two hundred pounds; and you can ther.-fore well imagine it becomes necessary for us to move from place to place, that it may be impossible to prove this. Nay, you would harlly creiit it, Walter, but some months since I fell giievously sick and was likely to die ; my husb.ind wa9 summoned to pay the fine, and he pleaded my sickness, but they answered I was a recus'int ; and, according 10 law, all sickness union" 1 them is reckoned as rebellion against the queen's majesty."