Rome.

The adventure of Bertha which has been alluded to, arose from this curiosity on her part, and the not quite vainly boasted power of gratifying it on his.

ings which were awakened in her on look- (possessed by any other valet-de-place in ing about her at Rome, were those connected with an instinctive and almost passionate love for the fine arts, and the fresh impressions left by the eager perusal of history, which had made a prominent feature in her education. But it was not long He had long promised to obtain for her before the religious aspect of Rome, as dis- an especially favorable place for seeing a played to the eyes of even the most care- lady receive the white veil, and on this less observer, attracted her attention. The occasion at least he kept his word faithfully, prodigious number of churches, the astound- for having informed his holy sister that a ing splendor of some among them, and young English lady, extremely rich and the multitudes of priests which thronged the perfectly independent, had fixed her heart streets, produced a sensation of awe, min- upon knowing all about it, and that he gled with curiosity. Young as she was, thought it very likely indeed that one day however, Bertha Harrington was not one of or other she would turn nun herself, perthose persons who are in danger of chang- mission was obtained from the abbess for ing either the faith or the form of the reli- her admission into the interior of the congion which, from their earliest days of con- vent on the day appointed for the ceremony. sciousness, has been the object of their Greatly to her satisfaction, therefore, she deepest reverence, by looking at the pom- was conducted into the parlor where the pous prelacy of Rome. She was made of nuns were permitted to stand on one side other stuff. But she was interested greatly of a grated aperture, and converse with in watching the external worship of the such friends as were licensed to visit them, church from which her own had seceded, who were stationed on the other. Bertha and with the most innocent unconscious-modestly seated herself as near this grating ness of deciding for herself a point of such as she conveniently could, without interferimportance as to shake the tranquillity of ing with the approach of the visitors, who man for ages past, and ages yet to come, each in succession were permitted to hold she thanked God very fervently for having a few minutes' conversation with some near been born in England. But still there was relative, or connection within the cloister. one feature of Romanism which had taken Several pair of fine black eyes, seen by no strong hold of her imagination. She means to a disadvantage under the white thought there was something very delightful band that crossed the forehead, had, more in the idea of a society of women withdraw or less, interested Bertha, according to ing themselves from the idle vanities of life, their beauty or their expression, when a and devoting themselves to holy thoughts figure approached the grating, whose dress, and deeds of charity. And such a notion though almost equally monastic with that of of the state and occupation of a sisterhood the sisters who had preceded her, was withof cloistered nuns, though perhaps not ex- out the speaking accompaniment of the actly accordant with truth, must not be veil. This difference in her attire so much sneered at as a proof of folly in my Bertha, attracted the attention of Bertha, that for a for most assuredly it is that which most na- moment she did not look at her features, turally suggests itself to an uncorrupted but when that moment being past, she female mind upon considering the subject. looked in her face, she lost all command of But be this as it may, Bertha certainly did herself, started from her chair, and uttered feel a great deal of interest about convents a loud scream. And another moment made and nuns, and one of the injunctions given it evident to the startled females on both to Luigi Mandorlo was, that he should do sides of the grating, that the individual who all he could to get her admitted within had caused this vehement emotion shared their walls, and enabled to witness their it also. She uttered a deep groan, took a most interesting ceremonies. This was one of the many powers upon which Luigi particularly prided himself. He had a sister who was a nun, and this, as he now declared to Bertha, and had often declared to other of his lady employers before, gave him greater facilities in gratifying all their wishes as to nuns and convents than were

faltering step or two backwards from the grating, and fell fainting into the arms of the sisters who were crowding the space behind her.

Some of the ladies who occupied the parlor approached the pale and trembling Bertha, offered her numerous smelling bottles, and presently obtained for her a glass of

dor of the service about to be performed before the altar of La Santa Consolazione.

water. Their attention produced the desired | Sister Eugenie allowed that this was not a effect, the cheeks and lips of Bertha re-moment to stand upon ceremony, even sumed their natural color, and she reco- though that ceremony concerned the splenvered herself sufficiently to thank them, and to say that if her carriage was in waiting she would wish to return home immediately, as the unexpected sight of a person whom she had known under very painful circum-the sacristy. Sister Clara," she added, adstances, had disturbed her spirits too much to permit her looking at the ceremony about to take place with the interest it deserved.

"Let Father Maurizio be brought hither instantly," she said; "he will be still in

dressing the oldest female in the room, "go you and see to it. It is a moment of peril when a house like this is open even for this holiest of offices."

But upon inquiry, it was found that her The summons thus sanctioned was imcarriage was not in waiting, nor her valet-mediately conveyed to Father Maurizio, de-place either, so that she was obliged to who obeyed it without a moment's delay, exert herself still further, and submit to the for he was told that a dying novice required disagreeable necessity of accompanying the rest of the party to the chapel of the convent, which they entered by a private door, notice being given that the ceremony was about to begin.

his aid. The holy sisters, who, notwithstanding the strong temptation to enter the gallery of their chapel, still continued in attendance at the bed-side of the novice, all reverently left the room, when the priest entered, and the confessor and his penitent were left alone.

their suffering sister in her hour of need, entered her cell, and found her, though certainly not in danger of immediate death, extremely pale, and still trembling violently from the agitation it was evident she had undergone.

A scene of great confusion, meanwhile, was going on in the interior of the convent. The novice, whose features had so painful- The confession was not a short one, and ly affected the unfortunate Bertha, was when it was over two or three of the good conveyed to her cell in a state of insensi-nuns, who still resisted their longing desire bility, from which she was not restored till to enter the chapel that they might attend after long and repeated applications of the strongest remedies that the terrified sisters could apply, and when at length she recovered her senses, their troubles were by no means at an end, for she began almost clamorously to demand the attendance of a confessor. At any other time such a requisition from an inmate of that house suffering under affliction either of body or mind, would have met with immediate compliance, but now there was great difficulty, great demur.

"There are just enough to do the service of the altar handsomely," said the stately Sister Eugenie, knitting her brows, and what will the lord cardinal think if the convent of the Santa Consolazione cannot command a proper attendance of officiating priests on such an occasion as this?"

"I must, I must," exclaimed the novice, vehemently. "The loss of my soul will rest as an eternal burden upon yours if you refuse me a confessor. I must-I must confess, and instantly, or it may be too late."

The ceremony in the chapel, meanwhile, was proceeding with becoming pomp and solemnity, and even Bertha, though still suffering from the unexpected shock at seeing a person whom she had hoped never to behold again, forgot for a moment her own sorrows and sufferings as she gazed at the delicate-looking young creature who had found strength to renounce all that this world has to offer of lovely, loving, and beloved, in the hope of obtaining a reward for the sacrifice in another.

The exhortation pronounced, and the tremendous ceremony ended, the newly-made nun retired into the convent, where she was to find all that was left to her of earth, through a door that opened on one side of the altar, and the company who had witnessed it began to disperse. Bertha too well knew the punctuality of Luigi to feel any doubt as Persuaded from this last phrase that the to finding her carriage in attendance at the novice believed herself to be dying, a feel-door of the church, and thankful that she ing of terror took possession of those should so soon be restored to the solitude around her, lest indeed the last offices of for which she was longing, she was anxiousthe church should be denied her through ly endeavoring to make her way through their negligence or indifference. Even the crowd, when she felt her arm gently

touched by a hand that evidently had not | "Yes, Miss Harrington," replied the come in contact with it by accident. She priest, "if all this unhappy woman has relooked round, and saw an elderly man in vealed to me be as true as I suppose it to the dress of a Romish ecclesiastic, but be, you will find consolation, oh, great and not in his clerical vestments, who imme- lasting consolation from what it is in my diately addressed her in French, request-power to tell you. Will you give me the ing that she would have the kindness to promise I require?" remain in the chapel for a few minutes, as he had a communication of great importance to make to her.

"To me, sir," she said, turning extremely pale. "Can it be from her ?-Is it possible that she should seek any communication with me!"

"Your conjecture is evidently right, Miss Harrington," replied the priest. "You suppose that it is the unhappy Mathilde Labarre who has sent me to you, and you are not mistaken."

"I will, sir," replied Bertha, solemnly. "I do promise you."

66

'You promise me never to reveal the circumstances I am going to state, except to your father," said the priest.

"I wish not to make any exception," returned Bertha, a crimson flush covering her pale cheeks for a moment, and then leaving them apparently paler than before.

"Sir, sir, I cannot see her, indeed I cannot," cried Bertha earnestly, though suffering herself to be led, or rather guided by the priest, whose hand still rested on her arm, into the sacristy. "You cannot know," she cannot have told you all the misery she has caused me. Oh, sir, for pity's sake never let me look upon her more!"

"Pardon me, young lady, she has told me all," replied Father Maurice, "and I can too well understand your natural unwillingness to see her, to attempt persuading you to overcome it, nor will it be necessary for the attainment of the very proper object that she had in view in giving me the commission which I am now executing. Sit down, Miss Harrington," continued the old man, kindly, as he set a chair for her. Though it will be less terrible for you to listen to me than to her, I am quite aware that the discussion cannot be entered upon at all, without causing you great agitation, great suffering."

"I will bear every thing that you shall tell me it is necessary I should bear," replied Bertha, touched by the tone of genuine compassion in which the old man addressed her, "I will bear every thing if you will promise me that I shall not see her."

"I do promise you, Miss Harrington," he replied," and in return, you must promise me, that excepting to your father, you will never repeat what I am about to disclose. It was confided to me in all the sacred security of confession, and it is only permitted to reach you in the hope that it may tend to console you under your heavy affliction."

"Console me?" repeated Bertha, with a shudder.

"You will thank me for the exception ere we part," said Father Maurice, looking at her kindly," and charged with this condition, I again ask if you give me your promise?"

"I do," said Bertha.

"Let me spare you," resumed the priest, all unnecessary minuteness of reference to the dreadful scenes which preceded your departure from your father's house. You were, and are very young to form such horrible conjectures respecting the origin of all you have endured, as I cannot but believe from your agitation at the encounter with this guilty woman, you have done. You suspect Mathilde Labarre poisoned your mother?"

"Her maid suspected it, and she told me," said Bertha, speaking with difficulty.

My miserable penitent supposed it was so," resumed Father Maurice; "but she supposed also that she was not the only person suspected by the maid-she supposed-"

Bertha uttered a faint shriek, and raised her hand as if to forbid his going farther. Oh, speak it not!" she cried. "Have pity on me! Let me go-let me go, and hide myself from every body."

The old priest looked at her with an eye that spoke no want of feeling.

"Do not believe," he replied, "that I would have detained you here for the sole purpose of reviving feelings which have made your young check, my daughter, paler than it ought to be. That a fearful crime has been committed, has been rightly guessed, but bless the mercy of God which permits you to know that your surviving parent had no share in it. Of great and grievous sins your unhappy father has been guilty, but of this, he is as innocent as you are.

"Thank God!" cried Bertha, sinking on

her knees, and raising her clasped hands to heaven. "Oh, praised and blessed be the Father of all mercy that has taken this frightful weight from my heart! And you, a stranger, how can I ever thank you as I ought?" and here poor Bertha burst into a salutary flood of tears, of which every drop that fell seemed to give her relief.

The good Father Maurice proved his sympathy, by letting them flow without in terruption, but in truth it was partly that he might remove the drops from his own eyes, that he turned from her so completely, and when he again approached, and offered his hand to raise her, she looked at him with a feeling of affectionate gratitude that could not be mistaken.

"Sit down for a moment, my dear child," he said, replacing her in the chair she had before occupied, " and tell me if you would wish that I should communicate any further particulars of her confession? She has given me unrestricted permission to tell you all; and may the earnestness of her wish to relieve your mind from the dreadful suspicion which she herself endeavored to throw upon your father, together with the heavy penance she is to undergo," he added, crossing himself, "may it assist in reconciling her soul to God! Tell me, my poor child, have you strength to listen to any further details ?"

gone, it is over! Oh, never let it come to me again!"

But before the words were spoken she remembered how utterly alone she was, how totally beyond the reach of learning any thing that might enable her to decide upon what she ought to do. Her position relative to her father was now completely changed. Not only had she in her recent thoughts accused him of having participated in the horrid crime which had deprived her of a mother, but she fully believed that his hateful paramour was still his companion, and earnestly as she had labored to drive all such thoughts from her mind, had been living under the torturing conviction that her mother's honored place was usurped by her murderer. This it was which made her endure the uncongenial home upon which she had been cast, and the idea that any remonstrance to her aunt against it might lead to her being recalled to Castle Harrington would have sufficed to chain her to it forever. But now every thing was changed, new duties seemed to arise before her eyes, but before she could take any step towards performing them, it was necessary that she should still learn much which it was possible the revelations of the repentant novice might have disclosed. Almost desperately therefore she resolved to hear all that the kind priest had to say, and again fervently thanking him for his goodness to her, she declared her wish to hear all that he thought it desirable she should know.

Bertha paused for a moment ere she replied. Her heart sunk within her at the idea of hearing any voice dwelling upon the dreadful theme which she had so often "You have decided wisely, my daughprayed in secret and in silence, might be ter," he replied. "Painful as the theme permitted by Heaven to pass from her me- must be, it is better that you lose not mory as a dream, and as a delirious dream, this opportunity of learning facts which she had almost taught herself to believe it. probably may have an important influence There was a sort of filial impiety in suf- on your future conduct. And yet it may fering her mind to rest on the suspicions not be needful, my dear young lady, that I which the unguarded words of her mother's should repeat to you at length all the dismaid had awakened, that made her feel closures of this unhappy woman. Unhapthis effort to forget, or rather to render pily you must already be aware that a sinvague and uncertain, all that occurred on ful connexion existed between her and the dreadful night of her mother's death, as your father. But deeply as this is to be dean imperious duty; and much of the eager-plored on his account, it is but just to tell ness with which she pursued every occupa- you that the guilty confession to which I tion that had power to interest her mind have been listening clearly proves that all arose from this. But still there lay at the the most appalling features of the crime bottom of her heart, though resolutely belonged to Mathilde Labarre. She states guarded from every voluntary movement of that her principal reason for taking the recollection, a dark and heavy load, which situation of your governess was the knowthe words of the friendly confessor had re-ledge she had obtained of your father's moved in a degree that had, comparatively propensity to gallantry; that she soon obspeaking, restored her to happiness; and for a moment she was tempted to say, "No! no! name it not again! It is past, it is

tained great influence over him, and flattering herself that it was much greater than she afterwards found it, she conceived the

"And must we then remain estranged forever?" said Bertha, mournfully.

horrible scheme of removing your honored first instance was the natural result of the mother, in the hope of being installed as overwhelming horror in which he found the lawful mistress of the castle in her place. himself plunged, and from which it was his The first movement of your father's mind on first object to withdraw you; and I suspect learning the dreadful catastrophe was to that your not being recalled arises from a prevent the disclosure of Miss Labarre's want of courage on the part of your father, guilt. He might perhaps have been awake, who dreads to see the child he has rendered even at that dreadful moment, to the proba- motherless by his infidelity, though not by bility that suspicion might fall upon him- his hand.” self. But be this as it may, it is evident that he did all he could, and very skilfully too, to dissipate the suspicion which this sud- "I scarcely perhaps know enough to be den death occasioned. In this, it seems, he a proper adviser," replied the good man, was quite successful, which, as she truly" but it seems to me that you would best says, could not have been the case if he had perform your duty, young lady, by returning been guilty of the imprudence of immedi- to him. Mademoiselle Labarre stated her ately parting with her. In a paroxysm of ter- belief that one source of the misery in ror that seems to have seized upon her which she saw him plunged arose from the after the fatal catastrophe, she left the cas-idea that you might implicate him in the tle, but was brought back to it by your fearful crime that has rendered you both so father, who enforced her remaining there desolate; and if this be so, the power of for some weeks; but nothing, by her own removing this agonizing idea from his mind account, could be more hostile than the is reason sufficient to induce you to go to terms on which they lived during this inter- him, without thinking of any other; though val. His horror and detestation of the deed there may be many." she had committed seemed to have rendered "I will go to him," said Bertha, rising her presence a punishment almost propor- with sudden energy, you are right, good tioned to the sins of which he had been father. I feel it at my heart, and that shall guilty, and she confesses that her first feel-guide me. I have trusted to my poor head ings of repentance arose from witnessing hitherto, and now it seems to me as if I the passionate grief with which your father had acted very ill. Alas alas! my father mourned for the wife he had injured and must indeed be wretched! May heaven lost. May this repentance avail," added the pardon me for having judged him wrongpriest, crossing himself, "but the death of ly!" your mother is not the only one that lies upon her soul. The only person whose evidence she had cause to fear was the personal attendant of the unfortunate lady, and to this poor woman she administered repeated doses of a slow but subtle poison which gradually paralyzed her limbs, and, ere long, produced death. I really believe that it is now only for your father's sake that she wishes the whole of this terrible history to he buried in eternal oblivion, and she wished this last atrocious act to be communicated to you, that you may be aware of the importance of any indiscretion on your part, as no disclosure can be feared from any other quarter."

Even without the promise given it would be buried safely with me," replied Bertha, solemnly. "But can you tell me, sir, if you gathered from any thing she said the motive of my unhappy father for keeping me thus estranged from my home?"

"Yes, Miss Harrington," answered Father Maurice, "I can answer that question distinctly. Your being sent off in the

"Atone for it my child by breathing to his ear, and to his alone, the solemn secret of this day's confession. Go, then, and may the God who watches over all his creatures with a father's pitying eye, protect and sustain you!"

Once more Bertha uttered an earnest assurance of her deep gratitude, and departed from the church, her carriage and her wondering servants having been long waiting for her at its door.

Deeply now had Bertha cause to deplore the thoughtless expenses in which she had indulged herself since her arrival at Rome. Bronze copies after the antique, if they are in a good style of workmanship, cost a good deal, and so, too, do mosaics, and well-cut intaglio imitations of first-rate gems; and in all these little gauds and toys she had indulged herself so freely, that the second remittance of her increased allowance was so nearly gone, as to leave her with very