be an untiring occupation. I found him the other day eagerly defying her to prove that there had not been pre-adamite birds with three legs, and poor Susan taking it all dans le sérieux,' and trying to argue with him on the sinfulness of asserting that there had been anything pre-adamite. Then he turned sharply upon her and said, he was shocked to find that after all her professions she did not believe the Bible, for it was distinctly stated there that all the beasts were made before man; and that consequently they must have been pre-adamite: and Susan would go on trying to explain what she meant till Arthur got her into the most hopeless confusion, and I came to her rescue."

Susan is really very good-natured," said Rosamond; "but Arthur does go too far sometimes; however, papa, I am very thankful, that with all his thoughtlessness and foolish joking, he is by no means ignorant of the Bible, and has mercifully been kept free from all the dreadful errors and unbelief of the present day."

"He was well taught in his youth," returned Colonel Leicester.

"Yes, dear father, but many have been as well, and yet have fallen away; but I do believe," and as she spoke her face lit up with a beautiful expression, "I do believe that one day God will

graciously shew my dear brother his sinfulness and convert him to the truth as it is in Jesus."

"It is my constant prayer," said Colonel Leicester in a low voice.

Rosamond seemed lost in thought for a few minutes, and then said, "I remember how long it was before I could at all understand or feel the natural state of the human heart, and our exceeding sinfulness in the sight of God; how often did I call myself a 'miserable offender' without the least meaning or feeling what I was saying. Papa, do you remember the first sermon we ever heard Mr. Waldegrave preach, from the verse 'As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you ?'"

"Perfectly; I have never forgotten it."

"I always think that sermon was the first thing that made me feel, really feel, that I was a sinner ; yet you remember that the subject of it was the Saviour's love; it is that love that makes me feel ever increasingly my own unworthiness; but the more I feel my weakness and corruption, still the more I feel I have all I want in Christ."

"My dearest child," said Colonel Leicester, gazing at her with a look of the deepest affection, "that is the Spirit's teaching."

Presently Rosamond resumed, "Mr. Waldegrave reminds me of Madame de Saligny. I have not had an opportunity of telling you about her

last letter; she is so much indebted to you, she says, for having introduced him to her; and she is quite -quite charmed with him. They have had great consultations about these poor persecuted Spanish Protestants, and Mr. Waldegrave has promised her that he will devote his holiday next summer to going to Spain and seeing if anything can be done for them; at least, poor creatures, it will comfort and strengthen them to hear that they are prayed for and sympathised with by their brethren in other countries. Madame de Saligny, who is in constant correspondence with people in her own country, knows of several who are suffering in various ways for having embraced, or even for enquiring after the truth, besides those who are imprisoned and whom we know of in England.”

"Well, I do not think she could find a person better suited than Waldegrave for such a mission. I never knew one who had so much of the rare union of the warmest zeal with the soundest discretion."

"The first attaché of our embassy at Madrid is an old schoolfellow of Mr. Waldegrave's, and they have kept up intimacy ever since. Mr. Waldegrave thinks he will be able to help him in different things; but he fears his own imperfect knowledge of the language will be a hindrance to him."

Colonel Leicester could not refrain from saying with a smile, "Ah, what a help you would have

been to him in that." Rosamond made no reply; and her father then said, "But what does Madame de Saligny say of herself? when will she come to us ?"

"Oh, she will not name any time; she says that now she is very busy again with the different works that were so long interrupted by M. de Saligny's illness; she says it was very sad, very trying to her to go back to all this alone; that at every turn she missed him who had so laboured heart and soul with her in everything. Poor thing! she says too, that this time of deep affliction has been one of severe trial and temptation also, but that she had not been left without help in her struggle with the rebellious and unbelieving thoughts with which the great Enemy, aided by her own corruptions, had tormented her. Christ has been faithful, though, she adds, and she is now enabled to remember with humble gratitude what a great blessing she has had in such a husband for three-and-twenty years, so large a portion of human life; she feels she should only rejoice that he is now with his Saviour. But I will give you her letter to read yourself; she expresses herself so beautifully, with such true Christian resignation.

CHAPTER XVI.

COLONEL LEICESTER took a small house in Norfolk Street for three months, and early in April, he and his daughter established themselves there. Rosamond was speedily beset by her aunt on the subject of joining in the London gaieties. On former occasions, when the Leicesters had come to town, it had only been for a short time, when they had gone to an hotel, or been with the Howards in Lowndes Square, and Rosamond had escaped pretty well. But now that they had come to be in London during all the season, "it would be the most absurd preposterous thing that ever was heard of," said Mrs. Howard, "to shut yourself up and never be seen. If you will go poking after schools and workhouses, and all these sort of places, why you can do that in the morning-a great many London ladies do; but then you can go out and enjoy yourself in the evening like other people."

Rosamond knew by experience that it was perfectly useless arguing with her aunt on this