had done at first, till Armand felt it would be ungracious not to comply.

"There can be scarcely anything to be imagined more common-place and prosaic," he began, "than my own history, which Mademoiselle de Fierville's obliging imagination has represented as something invested with much interest. It is the every-day story of a man struggling to get his bread by the cultivation and exercise of a talent, of the value of which he is the last person to be a judge. A tale such as every life presents where there is a struggle to be maintained against fortune one of painful defeats, and slight successes; of shortlived hopes, and long, but too well justified, fears; of unrewarded labour, and unexpected kindness; of almost habitual despondency, with intervals of intense enjoyment - Such as most lives are, I imagine, if we knew them in detail Mine has nothing to render it an ex

ception."

"Ah! those generalisations," said Mademoiselle, in a disappointed tone, "how I hate them! - That is literally telling us nothing. Speak, Mrs. Allardice - Do speak, Miss Marston. Now Mr. Du Chastel has begun, pray let us get something more out of him. Do speak, Miss Marston. I am sure there is more to tell than this. Your very name promises adventures, either your own or of those who went before you."

"Perhaps so," he said, and smiled a little. "If Mademoiselle Fierville will be contented with the history of those who went before me, it is other and far worthier than mine."

"Should you not like to hear it? I should so like to hear it. I do so love family history. Pray tell us of your family."

Mrs. Allardice said a few words.

He turned that way to answer her. He caught a view of Evelyn's face as she sat there behind her. She did not speak, but the countenance was full of earnest attention.

Thus encouraged, he began:

"My family, as you would anticipate from my name, is not of Saxon - descent. We are from France, but belong to those whom their country drove, without pity, from her bosom. Not because they were a dishonour to the soil from which they sprang, but because their hearts were brave and faithful to God, and to each other; and because they refused to disobey their consciences under the tyranny of a power, which they had been taught to look upon as an enemy to th truth of the Gospel.

and still look upon

"The attempt to force the sanctuary which God has reserved to himself in the bosom of every one, and oblige men to renounce what they believe to be truth, was resisted in spite of torments, imprisonments, and to the death. Those whom it was found impossible to convert, and impossible by violence to subdue, were at last compelled, in order to escape from a barbarity unparalleled, to forsake their houses and country - they became outcasts upon the world."

The head was now again advanced, and the eyes fixed upon the speaker.

He paused as if for breath, for his bosom was heaving.

"Go on," said a voice from behind him.

"My great-grandfather was among those driven into exile by the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes.

"The French are a brave nation, and jealous of their honour. Strange fanaticism of the religion I have been taught to hold in distrust and abhorrence; which could lead such a nation to tolerate nay, to applaud - a breach like this of everything an honourable man holds sacred. But thus it was. - Forgive me! I was to relate my family history, but my blood boils when I think upon a deed, which drove thousands upon thousands of innocent and pious creatures from their hearths, and from their homes, for conscience sake. - Miserable, ruined, helpless wretches as it appeared to their barbarous persecutors - forsaken of God and man. But it was not so. - They knew it would not be so. God was with them, that God to whom they cried out of the depths, and he heard them. The God who never leaves us nor forsakes us have experienced

as they experienced - as we

as all experience

"

He stopped, somewhat ashamed of his vehemence;

but every word he had uttered was sinking deep into one heart there.

"Go on!" in the smothered voice of one who could hardly articulate, the heart was so full.

"My ancestor possessed extensive estates in Languedoc. His castle was magnificent, his vineyards, his corn-fields, his olive-yards rich and abounding; for my people were industrious as they were God-fearing. The blessing of the Almighty seemed to follow them, and everything prospered in their hand. My ancestor rarely visited the court of the great king at that time reigning in Paris. He led a life at once godly and simple; he lived among his own people, in the exercise of a religion, which he esteemed as by far and far the most precious bequest which had descended to him from his forefathers.

"He spent his time in the practice of piety, and those good works, which his religious principles taught him to look upon as demanded from every follower of the great Lord and Master who died for him and all of But what of that?

us.

household

what awfulness of power there is in its wickedness when it poisons a state!

"They were persecuted with the most unrelenting barbarity - men of whom the world was not worthy. "They were tried, but not in despair.

"Through faith they subdued, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword; out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight armies. Women received their dead to life again, and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection: others had cruel mockings and scourgings, bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned; they were sawn asunder; they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, of whom the world was not worthy..."

A pause for breath; then he took up the subject more quietly.

"It was a long struggle, but it ended at last... They were driven forth, and all was over."

"Go on!"

"My ancestor's chateau was levelled with the ground. His vineyards, his olive gardens were burned; his cornfields and pastures made desert. All was one black, useless ruin, where all had been fruitfulness and peace! He went to England. He was brave not only in virtue but in arms. He fought in the armies of the great William, for that cause of liberty of conscience which was