"Ah! Moseley, you should set a better example to those below you in life."

"I wish to set an example," returned her husband, with an affectionate
smile, "to all above as well as below me, in order that they may find out
the path to happiness, by exhibiting to the world a model of a wife, in
yourself, dear Grace."

As this was uttered with a sincerity which distinguished the manner of
Moseley, his wife was more pleased with the compliment than she would have
been willing to make known; and John spoke no more than he thought; for a
desire to show his handsome wife was the ruling passion for a moment.

The husband was too pressing and the wife too fond not to yield the
point; and Grace took her seat in the carriage with a kind of half-formed
resolution to improve the opportunity by a discourse on serious
subjects--a resolution which terminated as all others do, that postpone
one duty to discharge another of less magnitude; it was forgotten.

Mrs. Wilson had listened with interest to the efforts of John to prevail
on his wife to take the ride, and on her leaving the room to comply she
observed to Emily, with whom she now remained alone--

"Here is a consequence of a difference in religious views between man and
wife, my child: John, in place of supporting Grace in the discharge of her
duties, has been the actual cause of her going astray."

Emily felt the force of her aunt's remark, and saw its justice; yet her
love for the offender induced her to say--

"John will not lead her openly astray for he has a sincere respect for
religion, and this offence is not unpardonable, dear aunt."

"The offence is assuredly not unpardonable," replied Mrs. Wilson, "and to
infinite mercy it is hard to say what is; but it is an offence, and
directly in the face of an express ordinance of the Lord; it is even
throwing off the _appearance_ of keeping the Sabbath day holy, much less
observing the substance of the commandment; and as to John's respect for
holy things in this instance, it was injurious to his wife. Had he been an
open deist she would have shrunk from the act in suspicion of its
sinfulness. Either John must become Christian, or I am afraid Grace will
fall from her under taking."

Mrs. Wilson shook her head mournfully, while Emily offered up a silent
petition that the first might speedily be the case.

Lady Laura had been early in her visit to the Moseleys; and as Denbigh
had both a town residence and a seat in parliamen