soon be accomplished."

"It is there that you are in error, my dear lady," remarked the abbe,
blandly; "His Holiness is too loving a parent to be exigeant without
good reason. Think of the parable of the Prodigal Son--what a warm
welcome! what rich treasures the father had for him, who was willing to
return! such as all will experience who, having eaten of the husks of
Protestantism, fly back to the bosom of the mother-Church."

Mr Lennard above all things hated an argument, and would always rather
side with a companion than oppose him; still he was not won by the
sophisms of the abbe; but he did not, unhappily, reflect on the effect
they might produce on Alfred and Mary. He had studied the Thirty-nine
Articles when he had taken his ordination vows, and he saw that the
opinions expressed by Lady Bygrave, and occasionally by Sir Reginald,
who was even more open than his wife, could not be reconciled to them.
The abbe never uttered a word which showed that he considered there were
any material differences in the two creeds, with the exception of the
single one of want of obedience to the heads of the Church.

"You have simplified your services; you have eliminated several
doctrines which we consider of importance; but such doctrines are, I
rejoice to see, in the course of being rapidly restored to their proper
position, as are many of the practices and observances of our Holy
Church," said the abbe, "and all you have now to say is, I will return,
I will obey, and the union is complete."

"You make the matter certainly very easy," said Mr Lennard; "but having
been for forty years of my life accustomed to consider that there is a
much wider gap between our Churches than that you have so quickly passed
over, you must not be surprised if I hesitate to take the leap; but I
will consider the subject."

"Far be it from me to advise you to do what your conscience might
disapprove," observed the abbe.

Father Lascelles found that he could be more open with Alfred. His
chief aim was to impress upon the young man's mind that there was but
one true Church, and that of Rome being the most ancient and most
powerful, and holding out unspeakably greater advantages to its
followers, must be that true one. Still, Alfred was neither very
impressive not communicative; the Jesuit priest could draw no positive
conclusion as to the effect his remarks had produced, though he felt
sure that, could he obtain time to play the fish he had