scarce a single follower remaining, and his daughter is a being whom to look upon would make the sternest weep for pity; a being who"

“Who is dearer to Everard," said Holdenough, "than his good name, his faith to his friends, his duty to his religion;-this is no time to speak with sugared lips. The paths in which you tread are dangerous. You are striving to raise the papistical candlestick which Heaven in its justice removed out of its place-to bring back to this hall of sorceries those very sinners who are bewitched with them. I will not permit the land to be abused by their witchcrafts.-They shall not come hither."

He spoke this with vehemence, and striking his stick against the ground; and the Colonel, very much dissatisfied, began to express himself haughtily in return. "You had better consider your power to accomplish your threats, Master Holdenough," he said, "before you urge them so peremptorily."

"And have I not the power to bind and to loose ?" said the clergyman.

"It is a power little available, save over those

of your own church," said Everard, with a tone something contemptuous.

"Take heed-take heed," said the divine, who, though an excellent, was, as we have elsewhere seen, an irritable man.- "Do not insult me; but think honourably of the messenger, for the sake of Him whose commission he carries.-Do not, I say, defy me-I am bound to discharge my duty, were it to the displeasing of my twin brother."

"I can see nought your office has to do in the matter," "said. Colonel Everard; " and I, on my side, give you warning not to attempt to meddle beyond your commission."

"Right-you hold me already to be as submissive as one of your grenadiers,” replied the clergyman, his acute features trembling with a sense of indignity, so as even to agitate his grey hair; "but beware, sir, I am not so powerless as you suppose. I will invoke every true Christian in Woodstock to gird up his loins, and resist the restoration of prelacy, oppression, and malignan

cy within our borders. I will stir up the wrath of the righteous against the oppressor-the Ishmael

ite-the Edomite-and against his race, and against those who support him and encourage him to rear up his horn. I will call aloud, and spare not, and arouse the many whose love hath waxed cold, and the multitude who care for none of these things. There shall be a remnant to listen to me; and I will take the stick of Joseph, which was in the hand of Ephraim; and go down to cleanse this place of witches and sorcerers, and of enchantments, and will cry and exhort, saying-Will you plead for Baal?—will you serve him? Nay, take the prophets of Baal —let not a man escape."

"Master Holdenough, Master Holdenough," said Colonel Everard, with much impatience, "by the tale yourself told me, you have exhorted upon that text once too often already."

The old man struck his palm forcibly against his forehead, and fell back into a chair as these words were uttered, as suddenly, and as much without power of resistance, as if the Colonel had fired a pistol through his head. Instantly regretting the reproach which he had suffered to escape him in his impatience, Everard hasten

ed to apologize, and to offer every conciliatory excuse, however inconsistent, which occurred to him on the moment. But the old man was too deeply affected-he rejected his hand, lent no ear to what he said, and finally started up, saying sternly, "You have abused my confidence, sir-abused it vilely, to turn it into my own reproach: had I been a man of the sword, you dared not-But enjoy your triumph, sir, over an old man, and your father's friend-strike at the wound his imprudent confidence showed you." "Nay, my worthy and excellent friend," said the Colonel

"Friend!" answered the old man, starting up "We are foes, sir-foes now, and for ever!" So saying, and starting from the seat into which he had rather fallen than thrown himself, he ran out of the room with a precipitation of step which he was apt to use upon occasions of irritable feeling, and which was certainly more eager than dignified, especially as he muttered while he ran, and seemed as if he were keeping up his own passion, by recounting over and over the offence which he had received.

"Soh!" said Colonel Everard," and there

was not strife enough between mine uncle and the people of Woodstock already, but I must needs increase it, by chafing this irritable and quicktempered old man, eager as I knew him to be in his ideas of church government, and stiff in his prejudices respecting all who dissent from him! The mob of Woodstock will rise; for though he would not get a score of them to stand by him in any honest or intelligible purpose, yet let him cry havoc and destruction, and I will warrant he has followers enów. And my uncle is equally wild and unpersuadable. For the value of all the estate he ever had, he would not allow a score of troopers to be quartered in the house for defence; and if he be alone, or has but Joceline to stand by him, he will be as sure to fire upon those who come to attack the Lodge, as if he had a hundred men in garrison; and then what can chance but danger and bloodshed ?"

This progress of melancholy anticipation was interrupted by the return of Master Holdenough, who, hurrying into the room, with the same precipitate pace at which he had left it, ran straight up to the Colonel, and said-" Take my hand,