o proceed, was yet equally anxious to
lose no time, but could form no definite resolve what course to adopt
amid his difficulties To give notice of the French landing, to apprise
the magistrates of the approaching outbreak, was, of course, his duty;
but in doing this, might he not be the means of Mark's ruin;--while, on
the other hand, to conceal his knowledge would be an act of disloyalty
to his sovereign, a forfeiture of the principles he held dear, and the
source, perhaps, of the most dreadful evils to his country. Where, too,
should he seek for counsel or advice--his father, he well knew, would
only regard the means of his brother's safety, reckless of all other
consequences; Kate's opinions, vague and undefined as they were, would
be in direct opposition to his own. Hems-worth he dared not confide
in--what then remained! There was but one for miles round, in whose
judgment and honour together he had trust; but from him latterly he had
kept studiously aloof. This was his old tutor, Father Rourke. Unwilling
to inflict pain upon the old man, and still unable to reconcile himself
to anything like duplicity in the matter, Herbert had avoided the
occasion of meeting him, and of avowing that change in his religious
belief, which, although secretly working for many a year, had only
reached its accomplishment when absent from home. He was aware how such
a disclosure would afflict his old friend--how impossible would be the
effort to persuade him that such a change had its origin in conviction,
and not in schemes of worldly ambition; and to save himself the
indignity of defence from such an accusation, and the pain of an
interview, where the matter should be discussed, he had preferred
leaving to time and accident, the disclosure, which from his own
lips would have been a painful sacrifice to both parties. These
considerations, important enough as they regarded his own happiness, had
little weight with him now. The graver questions had swallowed up all
others--the safety of the country--his brother's fate. It was true the
priest's sympathies would be exclusively with one party; he would not
view with Herbert's eye the coming struggle; but still might he not
regard with him the results?--might he not, and with prescience stronger
from his age, anticipate the dreadful miseries of a land devastated
by civil war?--was it not possible that he might judge unfavourably of
success, and prefer to endure what he regarded as evils, rathe