WHEN Sidney Berenger entered the apartment where his mother and her guests were assembled, he was much struck with the appearance of Antonia, who, seated on a low settee at Lady Berenger's feet, was giving with great animation the recital of an adventure which had befallen them on their

journey from home. She rose gracefully when Lady Berenger introduced her son, who thought he had never seen a countenance in which candour and diffidence were so happily united.

Several families in the neighbourhood of Castle Berenger had now joined the evening circle. At that time especially the Roman Catholic families clustered together, the magnates affording a certain degree of protection, and the means of worship in their private chapels, to their co-religionists; whilst they in turn, though often of much humbler birth, supplied the only society which the exclusive and retiring Catholic nobles would accept. No doubt

this social compact increased the petty irritations and often provoked the annoyances to which they were subject as Roman Catholics, and, as a natural consequence, the distrust and alienation from Protestants became daily greater. Sir Algernon and Lady Lyndsey appeared to feel nothing of this sort; although the only Protestants in company, they were perfectly at their ease, and there was a heartiness in their open and cheerful greeting which unconsciously communicated a more genial feeling to the rest of the party; and the pleasure which the Misses Berenger could not conceal in the gaiety of the youthful Antonia Lyndsey, gradually overcame the formality of the meeting.

Sidney's entrance was followed by the announcement of supper; and at his father's bidding he conducted the fair Antonia into the darkly pannelled eating-room, feebly lighted by silver sconces placed upon the oak wainscoting.

Sidney's foreign education ought to have removed his English shyness, and perhaps it had done so whilst he was out of England; but he felt so deeply the sad circumstances of his native land, that the unusual fact of his being seated by a young Pro

testant lady checked the genial flow of ordinary conversation, and his thoughts wandered more gloomily than usual to the humiliating position in which those of his own creed were placed. Antonia, however, was troubled by none of these imaginings; her cheerful open temper had never been repressed; and as she honestly desired to give pleasure, so she willingly received it. But Mr Berenger's silence and reserve were infectious; she had not heard the sound of his voice, and she fancied he looked as if he were not disposed to indulge her; she was not sure whether she ought not to make an attempt at acquaintance, but finally thought it was a hopeless case, and that it would be wiser to amuse herself with what was passing around her. But she had no sooner made this determination than a remark addressed to her by Mr Berenger broke the ice of reserve, and they soon became more conversable. He spoke pleasantly of foreign society and manners, evidently well informed in both, and in the literature of other countries, but as evidently avoiding all allusion to the English Court, to which he professed himself an entire stranger.

"And have you no curiosity to become better

acquainted with your own country?" said An

tonia.

"Not at present," replied Sidney.

'England is my home, because my family inhabit it; my attachments, my really home-feelings, belong to Scotland and to the continent."

"I dearly love Scotland," replied Antonia, "and my family is Scotch; but yours is English, and I do not therefore understand your decided preference."

"I am a true Scotchman in heart," said Sidney, gravely.

Antonia felt the subject had better not be continued, so she remarked that the Misses Berenger had quickly supped; "but I have had a long journey," continued she, smiling, "and am very hungry." "You forget," said Sidney, reddening, “this is a fast day with us; we never eat meat on Fridays."

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'Oh, I beg your pardon, I forgot," said Antonia, blushing in her turn, for she was sorry to have observed on a religious peculiarity.

Sidney saw she was distressed, and, recovering himself, added with a smile, "You have never lived with us dreadful Papists, Miss Lindsey, and you cannot therefore be aware of all our singularities."

'Oh, but indeed I was aware of this; but I was thoughtless."

As Antonia spoke, she recollected with surprise the abundance of the table. Part of the hospitable display, indeed, was mainly intended for those who could enjoy the meat, and fowl, and game; but as great a variety of fish and eggs, and other maigre dishes, were for those who were supposed to fast.

"How strange," thought Antonia, "thus to parade, and yet evade, a religious duty. If they must fast, why should they be tempted to eat? and if they may eat, why not eat whatever is set before them? Surely this must be a mistake."

Sidney watched, unobserved, her countenance whilst she was thus reflecting, and at last said, “I should like to know what is passing in Miss Lyndsey's mind, and what she thinks of us."

"Well, I have been taught to think that it is not what goes into the mouth, but the words which proceed out of the mouth, that may be displeasing to God."

Very true," replied Sidney; "but surely Miss Lyndsey must own that many vices arise from an intemperate use of the good things provided for us; is it not, therefore, fitting that man should put an

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