the family, of which it becomes not me to speak, and if I have, as to-day, been enabled to combine all our powers in one grand effort for the advancement of the only desirable knowledge, have I not reason to think myself most happy? And although your uncle, good man, differs totally from me in some of my views, and even goes so far as to say that I am blowing bubbles in the air, which may look gaudy in the sun-beam for an instant, and may float awhile above my head, but will all presently burst and be altogether as nothing; yet I appeal to your unsophisticated judgment, whether it is nothing to have brought the haughty Fitz-Adam, and that hitherto unbending and imperious character, the housekeeper, to give their sanction and approval to my endeavours? But,' he added we must not spoil our work at the moment in which we have brought it in some degree to bear. I consider this invitation as a sort of crowning peace-offering, and I rejoice Mr. Nicodemus, that you see it in the same light, and vote for this one further concession on our parts, for the good of the people."

I stammered out my acquiescence with all he had said, in that hesitating tone in which a man, to serve his own private purposes, gives his assent to that which he knows to be false; and in consequence, we immediately set ourselves to work, to write answers to the notes of invitation, which being done, the doctor took them

to his own room, in order to seal them, and dispatch them by the hands of his own servant. He had scarcely taken his leave, when Theophilus arrived, bringing with him all that rightfully belonged to him, and being dressed in a plain suit divested of all badges and marks of his late servitude. There was a small antichamber or closet within our room which was unoccupied, I directed him to put his bed there, at least till my uncle returned; and it was not long before I had reason to rejoice that such an inmate had been added to us, for this Theophilus was a fine young man, being very intelligent, and so well acquainted with the elements of knowledge, that he was more than fit in these particulars to be my associate.

It seems that from childhood he had been in the service of Madame le Monde, and had been continually flattered with the prospect of advancement in that service; but having from time to time been visited by the Interpreter, though in a manner not understood by those who had the chief rule over him, he had, after various sinful hesitations, (to use his own words), been assisted to make the resolution which led him to throw off all dependence on his unworthy mistress, and come to us.

But it was a thorn piercing my heart, to witness the simple and strait forward manner in which this young man set himself to obey the

suggestions of the Interpreter, at the very time that I was hesitating between the right and the wrong, resolving to gratify my own evil passions at all risks. And it should be here observed as a warning to others, that the mistaken conduct of the doctor, was that which above all other things confirmed me in my evil conduct.1

So Theophilus having arranged his goods and chattels, and made his bed in the obscure corner which I had pointed out to him, came forth into the room where I was sitting, with a countenance all gay and radiant, as it were from the effects of inward peace of mind.

It may be believed that I took good care not to speak to him of the invitation which we had just received, yet when the dinner was served up, for I had resolved to use my uncle's privilege, and to dine in my own room, I made him sit down and eat with me, and I found him to be not only an agreeable companion, but one to whom I could not help looking up, as being already delivered from that bondage of this world, in which I found myself still stricken, in spite as it were of myself. So after dinner we sat down and wrote, though I found myself very unfit for the work, and my pen accordingly went heavily; however, Theophilus having undertaken to help me, I was ashamed to give up till near sun-set, at which time we went out

1 "And a man's foes shall be they of his own household."Matt. x. 36.

to walk. We first took the turn towards the fields, in bye-paths where we met no one, though we heard a shepherd-boy playing on a flute; and whilst we stood listening, for the sound was very sweet, the lad laid aside his flute, and began to sing, and these were the words of his song:

The Lord my pasture shall prepare,
And feed me with a shepherd's care,
His presence shall my wants supply,
And guard me with a watchful eye.

1

That little boy is of the right sort,' said Theophilus, he knows his own master, and that is more than some of the wisest of us do, and what I for one should never have discovered, had I not been assisted so to do.' So when we had listened a while to the boy, we passed on, and having made a turn about, found that our nearest way back to the castle, was along the street of the village, and so up through the stables and back courts.

But when we came to the village, we were surprised to find all the street up in arms as it were, with such a noise and hubbub among the men who were gathered in fours and fives at the

1 "The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider."— Isaiah i. 3.

2 "At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes "-Matthew xi. 25.

doors, and such an uproar among the women, as quite filled us with astonishment, so that we said one to the other, what is all this? However, we went on, and just before the door of the inn, where the street is widest, we saw a sort of flag set up, and on the flag a motto, and this was the word written, Laodicea,'' which word, however, neither Theophilus nor I had learning enough to interpret; and before the inn, and in the yard, were crowds of men, the one half of whom were menial servants from the mansion, but in the midst of the crowd, and among the busiest of them all was mine host, and near him the man I had seen sitting at the head of the bench in the inn yard, the day I first came to the place. So the host called to Theophilus, and invited him to join the company, whilst the man whom I shall call the Elder of the Bench, not knowing his other name, extended the invitątion to me. But although the housekeeper had found a bait wherewith to catch me, and had me even then at the end of her line, playing fast and loose with me at her pleasure, I was not yet so far fallen as to be caught by such people as these. And as to Theophilus, he pulled me

1 "And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth."-Rev. iii. 14-16.