gretted leaving the chapel at college which had so
comforted and helped him, there was now daily service at Redclyffe
Church. The last thing in his mind, before reflection was lost in sleep,
was this stanza--

Gales from Heaven, if so He will,
Sweeter melodies may wake
On the lowly mountain rill
Than the meeting waters make.
Who hath the Father and the Son,
May be left, but not alone.

CHAPTER 22

And when the solemn deep church-bell
Entreats the soul to pray,
The midnight phantoms feel the spell,
The shadows sweep away.

Down the broad Vale of Tears afar,
The spectral camp is fled;
Faith shineth as a morning star,
Our ghastly fears are dead.
--LONGFELLOW

Mr. Ashford was a connection of Lady Thorndale's, and it was about a
year since the living of Redclyffe had been presented to him. Mr. and
Mrs. Ashford were of course anxious to learn all they could about their
young squire, on whom the welfare of the parish depended, even more than
in most cases, as the whole was his property. Their expectations were
not raised by Mr. Markham's strenuous opposition to all their projects,
and his constant appeals to the name of 'Sir Guy'; but, on the other
hand, they were pleased by the strong feeling of affection that all the
villagers manifested for their landlord.

The inhabitants of Redclyffe were a primitive race, almost all related
to each other, rough and ignorant, and with a very strong feudal feeling
for 'Sir Guy,' who was king, state, supreme authority, in their eyes;
and Mrs. Ashford further found that 'Master Morville,' as the old women
called him in his individual character, was regarded by them with great
personal affection.

On the occasion when Captain Morville came to Redclyffe, and left James
Thorndale to spend a couple of hours at the parsonage, they interrogated
the latter anxiously on his acquaintance with Sir Guy. He had not the
least idea of creating prejudice, indeed, he liked him as a companion,
but he saw everything through the medium of his friend, and spoke
something to this effect: He was very agreeable; they would like his
manners; he was tolerably clever, but not to be named in the same day
with his cousin for abilities, far less in appearance. Very pleasant,
generally liked, decidedly a taking man; but there was some cloud over
him just now--debts, probably. Morville had been obliged