Markham-take my hand hastily; for the old Adam is whispering at my heart; that it is a disgrace to hold it extended so long.”

"Most heartily do I receive your hand, my venerable friend," said Everard, “and I trust in sign of renewed amity."

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Surely, surely-" said the divine, shaking his hand kindly; "thou hast, it is true, spoken bitterly; but thou hast spoken truth in good time; and I think-though your words were severewith a good and kindly purpose. Verily, and of a truth, it were sinful in me again to be hasty in provoking violence, remembering that which you have upbraided me with"

"Forgive me, good Master Holdenough," said Colonel Everard, "it was a hasty word; I meant not in serious earnest to upbraid."

"Peace, I pray you, peace," said the divine; I say, the allusion to that which you have most justly upbraided me with-though the charge aroused the gall of the Old Man within me, the inward tempter being ever on the watch to bring us to his lure-ought, instead of being resented, to have been acknowledged by me as a favour, for

So are the wounds of a friend termed faithful. And surely I, who have by one unhappy exhortation to battle and strife, sent the living to the dead-and I fear brought back even the dead among the living-should now study peace and good will, and reconciliation of difference, leaving punishment to the Great Being whose laws are broken, and vengeance to Him who hath said, I will repay it."

The old man's mortified features lighted up with a humble confidence as he made this acknowledgment; and Colonel Everard, who knew the constitutional infirmities, and the early prejudices of professional consequence and exclusive party opinion, which he must have subdued ere arriving at such a tone of candour, hastened to express his admiration of his Christian charity, mingled with reproaches on himself for having so deeply injured his feelings,

"Think not of it-think not of it, excellent young man," said Holdenough; "we have both erred-I in suffering my zeal to outrun my charity, you, perhaps, in pressing hard on an old and peevish man, who had so lately poured out

his sufferings into your friendly bosom. Be it all forgotten. Let your friends-if they are not deterred by what has happened at this manor of Woodstock-resume their habitation as soon as they will. If they can protect themselves against the powers of the air, believe me, that if I can prevent it by aught in my power, they shall have no annoyance from earthly neighbours; and assure yourself, good sir, that my voice is still worth something with the worthy Mayor, and the good Aldermen, and the better sort of housekeepers up yonder in the town, although the lower classes are blown about with every wind of doctrine. And yet farther be assured, Colonel, that should your mother's brother, or any of his family, learn that they have taken up a rash bargain in returning to this unhappy and unhallowed house, or should they find any qualms in their own hearts and consciences which require a ghostly comforter, Nehemiah Holdenough will be as much at their command by night or day, as if they had been bred up within the holy pale of the church in which he is an unworthy minister; and neither the awe of what is fearful to be seen

within these walls, nor his knowledge of their blinded and carnal state, as bred up under a prelatic dispensation, shall prevent him doing what lies in his poor abilities for their protection and edification."

"I feel all the force of your kindness, reverend sir," said Colonel Everard, "but I do not think it likely that my uncle will give you trouble on either score. He is a man much accustomed to be his own protector in temporal danger, and in spiritual doubts to trust to his own prayers and those of his Church."

"I trust I have not been superfluous in offering mine assistance," said the old man, something jealous that his proffered spiritual aid had been held rather intrusive. "I ask pardon if that is the case-I humbly ask pardon-I would not willingly be superfluous."

The Colonel hastened to appease this new alarm of the watchful jealousy of his consequence, which, joined with a natural heat of temper which he could not always subdue, were the good man's only faults.

They had regained their former friendly foot

ing, when Roger Wildrake returned from the hut of Joceline, and whispered his master that his embassy had been successful. The Colonel then addressed the divine, and informed him, that as the Commissioners had already given up Woodstock, and as his uncle, Sir Henry Lee, proposed to return to the Lodge about noon, he would, if his reverence pleased, attend him up to the borough.

"Will you not tarry," said the reverend man, with something like inquisitive apprehension in his voice, "to welcome your relatives upon their return to this their house ?"

"No, my good friend,” said Colonel Everard; "the part which I have taken in these unhappy broils-perhaps also the mode of worship in which I have been educated-have so prejudiced me in mine uncle's opinion, that I must be for some time a stranger to his house and family." "Indeed! I rejoice to hear it, with all my heart and soul," said the divine. "Excuse my frankness-I do indeed rejoice,-I had thought -no matter what I had thought,—I would not again give offence. But truly though the maiden