pel; and, at the other, the abbess's apartment, and a chamber appointed for distinguished guests. Into this chamber Madame was carried, and laid upon a bed, from whose lofty tester were suspended curtains of dark velvet.

This apartment was hung with the tapestry of gobelin; the subjects represented being from the legends of the saints. In the centre, between two large windows, was a figure of the Virgin, large as life, wearing a crown, and holding, on one arm, the infant Jesus, and, on the other, a globe, indicating her sovereignty over the earth. Before this figure was a marble table, on which lay a superb Missal and a string of beads.

Antoinette, as soon as her mother was laid on the bed, approached her, and spoke to her; but, although Madame. had her eyes open, and appeared to be looking about her, she made no answer.

"Are you better, Madame?" said Antoinette; "are you in pain ?"

"

Antoinette repeated her question several times; and at length Madame replied, by asking her if it would be long before they reached the highest summit of the Alps; "for," added she, "I long to go down on the other side; this excessive elevation, this towering height, so far above the clouds, makes my head dreadfully dizzy."

Antoinette turned with terror from her mother, and looked at the nuns, several of whom stood by her.

66 My daughter," said the sister Beatrice, (the old nun before mentioned,) "your mother's head is affected; she does not know what she says. Do not speak to her."

Antoinette made no reply; but, sitting down by the bed, she continued to weep for some time; her mind being exercised by many exceedingly painful thoughts respecting the spiritual state of her mother; who had appeared more averse to real religion, and more attached to mere forms, for some months past, than she had ever before known her.

When the surgeon arrived, he expressed a fear that Madame had received a very severe injury on the head; and added, that an operation must be performed, which, though painful, was absolutely necessary for the preservation of life.

It being thought improper that her daughters should

be present during the operation, and as they felt unfit for conversation with strangers, the abbess very kindly permitted them to retire to a small apartment prepared for them, where they were presently joined by their old servant; who, having informed them that Monsieur was lodged in the village, hastened to attend her mistress, leaving the two sisters to converse with each other.

"I cannot sleep," said Antoinette, "till I hear that all is safely over. O my poor mother! may her life, if it please God, be preserved a little longer!"

Eleanore joined in the same wish, and proceeded to relate to her sister the conversation which she had entered into with the abbess. She expressed her sense of the kindness of these strangers; and added, "While we are here, we must, if possible, conceal from them that we are not of the same sentiments with respect to religion."

"It will not, perhaps, be necessary to enter on the subject," returned Antoinette.

"But they will surely require of us to join them in prayer, and to hear mass," said Eleanore.

"Why should we look forward to difficulties which may never happen?" replied Antoinette.

"It is as well," returned the other, "to make up our minds on what we are to do, if required to avow our faith one way or another."

"There can be no difficulty in that," returned Antoinette; "we must not pretend to be what we are not. But we may hope, that, although firm, we shall have grace given us not to be violent or ungrateful."

Eleanore made no answer; and the sisters remained silent till their servant returned to them, and told them that the operation was over, and their mother was going to sleep.

The young people were much relieved by this news, and soon were enabled to take some rest.

It was necessary to keep Madame still for many days; no one was allowed to speak to her: and as her Irish maid was thought to be the most experienced nurse of the family, she was ordered to remain with her; and her daughters were, by this circumstance, left at liberty.

As Eleanore had expected, though treated with the utmost kindness, and even familiarity, by the nuns and

novices, they were required to hear mass and join in prayer.

On this occasion, Antoinette confessed that she had been brought up in the Reformed Church; but Eleanore, to the .extreme astonishment of her sister, hinted, that, though she had been educated by the Protestants, she had much respect for the faith of her mother's country; and that she had no objection to join with the novices in their religious exercises.

In consequence of these avowals, Antoinette was immediately treated with indifference by some of the nuns; and was exposed to hear perpetual assertions in favour of the Romish religion; while Eleanore instantly became a favourite through the whole house; and was in danger of being as intimate with the young nuns and novices as she had been with Joanna and Pauline. But the effect of this intimacy was not, as Antoinette expected, an increase of superstitious zeal; but a sudden elevation of spirits; and continual whisperings with her young companions; and frequent games at romps and loud titterings with the novices, when unobserved by the elder nuns.

In a short time, Eleanore appeared to be acquainted with all the tricks and jests of these giddy and uninstructed girls; as was evident by certain expressive looks and watch-words which passed between them, when assembled at meals, in the presence of the more serious nuns, and on other occasions.

Where a number of persons are together in one house, with little employment, unless the discipline is very strong, and the rulers are extremely watchful and discerning, the most odious vices will creep in, and offences will grow to a magnitude and luxuriance of which those who are ignorant of human nature can have little idea. Hence the goodness of Almighty God, who has associated mankind in small and distinct families; providing, in his wisdom, that each family should have its special ruler and natural government; and great is the folly of man, who counteracts, in a thousand instances, these arrangements of a wise Providence.-But to return to our story.

Madame was declared out of danger; and Monsieur, who had waited in the village near the convent, now thought himself at liberty to proceed to Switzerland, to prepare

for the reception of his friend, when she should be fit to travel. But before his departure he made as handsome a present to the convent as his slender means would permit; cordially thanking its inmates for their kindness to his relative.

After the departure of Monsieur, Madame's health gradually improved; notwithstanding which, her daughters observed that great pains were used to keep them from her; and that, when they did see her, her manner was cold and reserved. The truth of the matter was, that the abbess, on finding that Eleanore and Antoinette were Protestants, had taken occasion to speak to their mother on the subject, and had blamed her for bringing them up in error; and, having declared to her that there is no salvation out of the Romish Church, she had filled her with distress and terror; and had so effectually worked upon her fears, that she was the prey of superstitious horrors; and was, in fact, thrown into a state of derangement; which occasioned her to be unspeakably wretched. She, however, confessed her sin to the abbess; and assured her that she would use all the influence in her power to induce her children to renounce their heresies. In the mean time, her bodily health was restored; and, as there was no longer any reason for her remaining at the convent, every thing was prepared for the journey, and she proceeded with her daughters and servant towards Switzerland.

Eleanore and Antoinette had observed the gloom and insensibility of their mother, and the absence and wildness of her manner: they hoped, however, that these symptoms would gradually pass away when she was at a distance from the convent, and witnessed new scenes, and formed new acquaintance; but when, after having travelled several miles in an open carriage which they had hired to bring them to the foot of the Alps, she still retained the same gloomy indifference, Antoinette began to be alarmed, and Eleanore to be irritated.

"I fear that you are not well, Madame?" said Antoin

ette.

"Well in body, but ill at ease in mind,” returned Madame.

"And wherefore should you be unhappy, Madame?" said Antoinette; "are not your children and your faith

ful servant with you? and are you not going to a dear friend, and into a delightful country?"

Madame, in reply, burst into tears, and then avowed her uneasiness, and the cause of it; adding, with much tenderness, "My dear children, I cannot bear to look forward to your perdition. O! permit me to persuade you to renounce your errors. Make me happy in thinking that the souls of my children are not doomed to destruction."

Antoinette replied, in the most affectionate manner, "Beloved parent, make yourself easy; we will talk on these subjects another time; we will hear all you have to say; and we will read the Bible together, and pray for help from above: but at present you are weak and low, and not able to converse on these subjects. Let us now enjoy these lovely prospects, and refer this argument to another time."

"But do not, Antoinette," said Eleanore, “do not hold out false hopes to my mother: you know your determination against the Roman Catholic doctrines; you have lately evidenced your dislike in the strongest manner; and yet you promise our mother to consider of them again. Is this just and upright?"

Antoinette looked at her sister with an expression of disgust, such as she had scarcely ever before evinced; then turning to her mother, she said, "I give you leave, Madame, to judge of my religious principles by my actions. If I am assisted to treat you with attention and tenderness, be assured that the help is from above; and do at least defer for a while any uneasiness respecting my spiritual state. And now, dear parent," she added, "I must give you an account of the manner in which my time was occupied among the kind sisters, while you were shut up in your room. We breakfasted, dined, and supped in the refectory. Our fare was plain, but neatly served, and wholesome; and I was much pleased with the novelty of this way of life. And then the work, mamma, the beautiful work the nuns execute, I could scarcely have conceived so much variety possible; I learned many new stitches; and, I hope, improved myself in embroidery."

In this manner she proceeded, making out a long story of slender materials, but in an innocent way; till Madame's attention was engaged, and her spirits revived; of which she gave evidence by making certain remarks on the