kward from his consciousness of it, did nothing but
slink aside, and look for some place of refuge; but the whole space was
open, and there seemed no corner to retreat into. Every one, however,
seemed about his own business; no one minded him, and so far he felt at
his ease. He stood near the door, and began to look about him. A
profusion of candles was lighting at the High Altar, which stood in the
centre of a semicircular apse. There were side-altars--perhaps
half-a-dozen; most of them without lights, but, even here, solitary
worshippers might be seen. Over one was a large old Crucifix with a
lamp, and this had a succession of visitors. They came each for five
minutes, said some prayers which were attached in a glazed frame to the
rail, and passed away. At another, which was in a chapel at the farther
end of one of the aisles, six long candles were burning, and over it was
an image. On looking attentively, Charles made out at last that it was
an image of Our Lady, and the Child held out a rosary. Here a
congregation had already assembled, or rather was in the middle of some
service, to him unknown. It was rapid, alternate, and monotonous; and,
as it seemed interminable, Reding turned his eyes elsewhere. They fell
first on one, then on another confessional, round each of which was a
little crowd, kneeling, waiting every one his own turn for presenting
himself for the sacrament--the men on the one side, the women on the
other. At the lower end of the church were about three ranges of
moveable benches with backs and kneelers; the rest of the large space
was open, and filled with chairs. The growing object of attention at
present was the High Altar; and each person, as he entered, took a
chair, and, kneeling down behind it, began his prayers. At length the
church got very full; rich and poor were mixed together--artisans,
well-dressed youths, Irish labourers, mothers with two or three
children--the only division being that of men from women. A set of boys
and children, mixed with some old crones, had got possession of the
altar-rail, and were hugging it with restless motions, as if in
expectation.

Though Reding had continued standing, no one would have noticed him; but
he saw the time was come for him to kneel, and accordingly he moved into
a corner seat on the bench nearest him. He had hardly done so, when a
procession with lights passed from the sacristy to the altar; something
went on which he did not understand, and