embarrassed. However, when he got near the church, he met many of his old friends, and all of them were delighted to see him; and his face brightened up as he shook hands with one and another, promising to call on such members of each family, as from ill health or infirmity were not able to come out.

When he got into the church, he observed that a pew in the chancel, which he had never seen occupied but by inferior people, had been fitted up since he had been at school, lined with green cloth, and supplied with handsome prayer books; and whilst he was wondering what this could mean, he heard the trampling of horses in the church-yard, and immediately afterwards an old lady and two young ones, in riding habits and round hats, with whips in their hands, walked up the church to the newly-repaired pew. As the eldest of these ladies passed by Mr. Dalben's seat, Mrs. Bonville, who was standing up and looking about her, nodded very significantly to her, and then turning to Henry, she said, "That lady is a very old acquaintance of mine; why did not you tell me she was in the country?"

"I do not know who she is," replied Henry; "I never saw her before."

Mrs. Bonville did not hear Henry's answer,

for she was nodding to the young ladies, who were already in their pew; and their courtesies and signs of recognition did not cease till the service begun. But the clergyman had hardly read the first prayer, when the congregation was disturbed by the noise of dogs yelping in the churchyard, added to which were the voices of persons bidding them be quiet, in that sort of language which is generally used to quadrupeds of this description; and then three young men, the youngest of whom might be two or three years older than Henry, entered the church, in sporting jackets, (though of course without any implements for sporting,) and, being followed by their dogs, walked straight up to the pew in the chancel, their boots creaking as they went, as if the soles had been made of sealing-wax.

Those persons can have but little knowledge of the human mind, and especially of that mind in our younger years, if they are surprised to be informed, that these various phenomena in a place where they were so little expected, together with the grimaces of Mrs. Bonville, who seemed to be as anxious to make the young gentlemen acknowledge her, as she had been to attract the attention of their mamma, should have rendered it very difficult for Henry so to

command his attention to the duties of the place, as his conscience told him it ought to be; and indeed, how often, how very often, does it happen, that the most decidedly pious and serious individuals of the human race, are obliged to confess that they have repeatedly found their attention diverted from its course in a place of worship, by things which, at another time, and in another place, would not have held it for an instant: hence it should be the endeavour of all those persons who know their own hearts, to keep a watch upon their eyes, during those hours which are set aside for the exercises of religion.

As soon as the service was over, Mrs. Bonville hastened from her seat to join the party in the chancel; and Henry, who went immediately out of the church, took occasion to ask the first person he met, when quite clear of the church, who this new family might possibly be. The person informed him that it was that of 'Squire Hargrave, who had lately come to an estate called the Ferns, at the most remote point of the parish. He informed him that the old gentleman himself was never seen abroad, having had several paralytic strokes, and being almost reduced to a second childhood. He added, that the younger members of the family consisted of

three sons and two daughters, all of whom Henry had seen at church with the lady their mother. Henry's informant spoke very well of the eldest son, who, he said, was in fact master of the family, the old gentleman being non compos. After a few minutes' reflection, Henry recollected the house, although it had only been tenanted by inferior persons within his memory: knowing, however, that the party must needs pass Mr. Dalben's to get home by the most direct way, he walked quietly on, in order to give Mrs. Bonville opportunity to overtake him ; for as he had come out with her, he thought it was necessary for him to return with her, although he heartily hoped that she would meet with some other companion. Whilst sauntering in the lane, he was overtaken by Thomas and Maurice.

"Where did you leave Mrs. Bonville, Thomas ?" asked Henry.

"With the gentry on the church-green," replied Thomas; "they are waiting till their horses are brought up; and Mrs. Bonville has got the young 'squire by the arm."

"Then she will not want me," returned Henry; “I have a great mind to run home."

"Stop, Master Henry, stop," said Maurice, putting in his word. "I seed a stot in that

there barn just off the road-he poked his nose out at me as I come along to the church; I wants to tell the folks of it up at the farm; and if we could get the terriers down, we should have him in a trice. I dare say he is somewhere about where I seed him."

"You young rogue," growled Thomas, "don't you be thinking that I shall let you off on such a chase as that, on a Sunday morning, and the people scarce out of church, and you in master's livery. Make haste home, or I shall be sure to tell master of your pranks."

"Here they be, here they be !" exclaimed Maurice, without seeming to have heard the last words of Thomas: "here they come,”—and he stood on tip-toe, looking over the hedge, and chuckling with delight.

"What, who!" exclaimed Thomas, "the stot, or the terriers, or what? If I do not take the boy to be a born ideot;-what is he gaping at now ?"

Henry, in the mean time, had climbed to the top of a heap of rubbish by the way side, and looking in the direction pointed by the finger of Maurice, he saw half a dozen or more heads, several of which were covered with jockey caps, rolling with a rapid, yet irregular motion along the top of the high-clipt hedge, much in the