d
been brought up as a Catholic; but, after my grandmother's death, I had
little encouragement or example shown me in religious duties. Now,
having been more than two years in England, and continually with
Protestants, I had gone to the established Protestant church with those
I resided with at first; because I considered it better to go to that
church, although I knew it to be somewhat at variance with my own,
rather than go to no church at all, and by habit I was gradually
inclining to Protestantism; but now the idea came across my mind, if
Lady R--had confessed as we Catholics do, this secret could not have
been kept so long; and, if she withheld herself from the confessional,
had her agents been Catholics, the secret would have been divulged to
the priest by them, and justice would have been done to Lionel; and,
having made this reflection, I felt as it were, that I was again a
sincere Catholic.

After a little more reflection, I put away the papers, wrote a letter to
Mr Selwyn, the solicitor, requesting that he would call upon me the
following morning, and then went down to Lady M--.

"I suppose that we shall not have much of the pleasure of your company,
Miss de Chatenoeuf," said her ladyship, "now that you have such a novel
occupation?"

"It is a very distressing one," replied I, "and I wish Lady R--had not
paid me such a compliment. Might I trespass upon your ladyship's
kindness to request the loan of the carriage for half-an-hour to obtain
some papers from Lady R--'s house in Baker Street?"

"Oh, certainly," replied her ladyship. "Pray have you seen Lady R--'s
will?"

"Yes, madame."

"And how has she disposed of her property?"

"She has left it all to her nephew, Lady M--."

"Nephew! I never heard her speak of a nephew before. Sir Richard had
no nephews or nieces, for he was an only son, and the title has now gone
into the Vivian branch, and I never heard of her having a nephew. And
what has she left you, mademoiselle, if it is not asking too much?"

"Lady R--has left me 500 pounds, my lady."

"Indeed! well then, she pays you for your trouble. But really, Miss de
Chatenoeuf, I do wish you could put off this business until after the
marriages. I am so hurried and worried that I really do not know which
way to turn, and really I have felt your loss these last two days more
than you can imagine. You are so clever, and have so much taste, that
we cannot get on without you. It's all your own f