and after Him
mine only hope, pray for me, and guard me during this night'--`Give me
power to fight against thine enemies'--`Great God, who by the
resurrection of Thy Son Jesus Christ hast rejoiced the world, we pray
Thee, grant that by His blessed mother the Virgin Mary we may obtain the
bliss of eternal life'--`Make mine heart to burn with love for Jesus
Christ,--make me to feel the death of Jesus Christ in mine heart,--cause
to be given unto us the joys of Paradise--O Jesu! O Mary! cause me to
be truly troubled for my sins.' These, Mistress Blanche, be from the
book that is the Common Prayer of the Papistical Church: and all these
words be spoken unto Mary. As you well see, I cast no doubt, they do
ascribe unto her divinity. For none can effectually work upon man's
heart--save the Holy Ghost only. None other can cause his heart to be
`truly troubled for sin;' none other can make his heart to burn. Now
what think you of this, Mistress Blanche? Is it praying unto the
saints, or no?"

What Blanche thought, she did not say; but if it could be guessed from
the expression of her face, she was both shocked and astonished.

"Now come we to the third point: to wit, that images be as pictures for
the teaching of such as have no learning. Methinks, Mistress Blanche,
that God is like to be wiser than all men. There must needs have been
many Israelites in the wilderness that had no learning: yet His command
unto them, as unto us, is, `Ye shall not make unto you _any_ graven
image.' I take it that the small good that might thereby be done
(supposing any such to be) should be utterly overborne of the companying
evil. Moreover, when you do learn the vulgar, you would, I hope, learn
them that which is true. Is it true, I pray you, that Mary was borne
into Heaven of angels, like as Christ did Himself ascend?--or that being
thus carried thither, she was crowned of God, as a queen? Dear maid, we
have the Master's word touching all such, pourtrayments. `The graven
images of _their_ gods shall ye burn with fire.--Thou shalt utterly
detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.'"
[Deuteronomy twelve, verses 25, 26.]

"O Mr Tremayne!" said Blanche, with a horrified look. "You would
surely ne'er call a picture or an image of our Lord's own mother a thing
accursed?"

"But I would, my maid," he answered very gravely, "that instant moment
that there should be given thereunto the honour and worship and