"Tell me," said Frank.

Mr. Silver held up his finger, and began. As he went on, in short jerky sentences, his eyes wandered from Frank's and fixed themselves in space-the gaze becoming deeper, and the expression as of one who reads things far off.

"A day of judgment and lamentation, when even the righteous shall be sifted. Afterwards the good time. A day of gathering of the nations upon the earth. The Great Battlethe Final Battle-shall be fought, after which there shall be no more wars. The Lord's battle will be fought on the Lord's battle-field, the Plain of Esdraelon: the battle of the people against the priests, and all their power. After it, the priests shall clothe themselves with trembling as with a garment. Know," he continued after a pause, stretching his hand across the table, and still with his eyes fixed in vacancy-"know that, from time long gone by, even from the days of the Chaldæan who first invented the accursed thing, the arm of the Lord has been against the priesthood. There is one nation the enemy of the human race- -the nation of the priests. Whether they call themselves Catholic, or Anglican, or Dissenting, or Heathen, the spirit is alike. It is the spirit of darkness and tyranny."

"Mr. Melliship, is your tea to your liking?" whispered Patty. "It is the spirit of pride and falsehood. Every dogma that blindfolds men's eyes is the invention of a priest; every accursed form of domination is the invention of the priests; every evil government has been maintained by the priests. They have made the world what it is; they have substituted fear for love; they keep the people ignorant, they darken counsel, and shut out light.'

"Joey, run up and fetch my bonnet," said Patty.

"Then you want to abolish all priests?" said Frank, looking with wonder at the religious enthusiast.

"I am on the Lord's side," he replied, simply. "I would that I might live to fight in the Great Battle when it comes, and to fight against the priests. Priests! I am a priest. We are all priests;-every man in his own house, as the Patriarchs were before us. Remember, young man, that this is no light matter. It will be your place to take a side-and that before long. Russia is advancing south, as Ezekiel prophesied. Turkey is falling to pieces, and will soon be even as she who was once decked with ornaments-with bracelets on her hands and a chain upon her neck-who went astray and

was confounded, as Ezekiel prophesied. All things came from Palestine: all things go back to Palestine. They are going to make a railway down the valley of the Euphrates: then they will rebuild the city of Babylon. In the time to come, that shall be the city of wealth and trade-when London will be deserted. The city of the Lord shall then be rebuilt, too : even the city of David, with a Temple which shall have no priests. It shall be the reign of peace. All nations shall come into the Church, and the millennium shall be begun. Even So, O Lord: : Thy will be done!"

He folded his hands, as he concluded his speech, in a silent prayer.

"Drink your tea, father," said Patty; "it's getting cold— and it's late, besides."

"Where are we going, Miss Silver?" asked Frank.

"Miss Silver!" Patty laughed merrily. "I never was called Miss Silver in my life before. Call me Patty, Mr. Melliship."

"I will, if you will call me Frank." "Indeed, I shall do nothing of the kind. man, and don't belong to our rank of life. Don't disturb father. He's often so, after Bible."

You are a gentleHush, don't move. talking about the

The enthusiast was bent forward, with his eyes fixed, gazing out of the window. He neither heard nor saw-he was in a trance. Frank looked at him anxiously. Then, moved by the impulse of his artistic nature, he took a book from the table. It was Patty's hymn-book-and on the fly-leaf began to sketch her father with his pencil. Patty looked over his shoulder in speechless admiration. In three minutes it was done a rude, rough sketch, slightly idealized, so as to bring out the noble ruggedness of the man's brow, the wild depth of his eyes, the setting of his lips.

"Oh! it's wonderful," Patty whispered.

"Shall I draw you ?" asked Frank, in a whisper. "Sit down, and I will try."

She sat down, blushing; but the next minute sprang up again, whispering

"Not to-day-not while father is like that. Don't speak." She took the Bible from him, and looked at the portrait with devouring eyes. Some subtle beauty the artist had put

into the lines which she had never noticed before in her father's face, and saw it now for the first time.

They sat for two or three minutes more in silence, and then Mr. Silver threw his head back with a sigh, and looked round the room.

"It is late," he said. "Let us go."

"But where are we going?" asked Frank again.

66

Why, to Mr. Eddrup's church, of course.'

He followed in astonishment. Who and what was this Mr. Eddrup, that these people should so look up to him? Patty and he walked together.

"I shall show the picture to father," she said—“ but not to-night: not till the fit is off him. I suppose you were surprised to find us in such a nice house? We couldn't afford to rent it, you know; but it's Mr. Leweson's, and he gives it to us for nothing. We sometimes let lodgings, only I don't know-it is such a trouble."

"You had better again," said Frank. lodger."

"Ah! I don't know. I should like it, replied, simply; "but father's particular.

"I will be your

you know," she You might turu

out bad, after all. And then see where we should be!"

66

Well-I haven't turned out very good, so far," said Frank, with a sigh.

"Here we are at the church," said Patty, stopping at a door.

CHAPTER THE THIRTY-SECOND.

STAIRCASE, 'steep as a ladder, led to a long low room, filled with people. It might have held about eighty, because audiences of all kinds, whether for religion or amusment, pack closely, The windows were open, because the night was close. The room was lighted by two or three gas-jets, and fitted up with benches for the body of the room, and a foothigh platform for the end. This was garnished with a rough hand-rail, not for any separation of the minister from the people, but for a leaning-place on which he might rest his hands. Two or three chairs were on the platform. One of these was empty. Mr. Silver, leaving Frank in the hands of his daughter, went to the end, and took the vacant seat with a slight but noticeable air of pride. The only arm-chair was

U

The Torres de hadde Ermerer vers nlled. is Per hereinda festand te mire Biteskiza, y he ansfer the neighborhood. The rasen as told a m *** % 1500 Hom, which mat i har et je me. It old tow forte roges 395, selom Jr. žádny vet ʼn he pace, here had seen m #tempts for ittle me to promote in he dony some form of Christian vorship. This room. the same

in which sher dvere met, had een fixed men as the my mom amilario It sold and shaky, and it was mit ver a drsing sstablishment. One scid vinter night, soon after they had formed themselves into a congregation, the reverend gentleman ran sonducted their exercises, whether inven by religione zeal or impelled by the severity of the weather. enforced his arguments by an inwonted physical activity. stamping, gestionating, and even jumping. He calculated minium araduing, on the strength of the door. Alas! it gave w27. The boards broke beneath the accustomed strain. The table, on which were swo candles, was roset; and, amid the darkness, the little flock could hear only the grans of their pastor and the splashing of liquid. The last fash of the bronhorning lights had shown him vanishing through the Booring. They famed and fed. It was some time before they ventured to return. But they found their minister blue. He was dyed: he had failen into the vat prepared for an mdigo day. Besides this, he was half frozen. After this the congregation dispersed. Nor was it till Mr. Eddrup came that they reassembled; and when they did, the nickname stack to them still.

Patty pulled Frank by the arm, and they humbly took the formest places of all, the very last, with their backs against the wall.

"It's going to begin directly," whispered the girl. "You must look over my hymn-book. There's Mr. Eddrup."

As she spoke, the old man rose and advanced to the front of the platform, grasping the rail.

"If any have aught to say "-he spoke a kind of formula"let him or her now say it."

A labouring man rose up, and incoherently delivered himself of a few short and unconnected sentences. Then he sat down, perspiring. He had an idea which he wanted to set forth, but language was too strong for him, and he had failed.

Mr. Eddrup looked round again. No one else spoke. Then he took a hymn-book, and gave out a number. They took their hymns, like their tea, sitting; but sang with none the less fervour,

Then their leader-for such Mr. Eddrup was-rose to address them, with his hands on the rail, his head held down, and his white hair falling forward in a long mass that almost hid his face.

"Into what queer world have I dropped ?" thought Frank. "A religious trapeze family; a man who lives at Skimp's, and preaches to people; I myself, who sing at a music hall, and come here on Sundays. It all seems very irregular."

Mr. Eddrup, still looking on the ground, with his long, white hair hanging about him, began his discourse in a slow, hesitating way, as if he was feeling, not for ideas, but for fitting words to put them in. Presently he warmed a little with his subject, and lifting his head, spoke in clearer and fuller tones. His audience went with him, devouring every word he said. They were wise words. He spoke of the everyday life of a religious man, of the temptations that beset the poor, of the strength which comes of resistance. He had that native eloquence which comes of earnestness. He wished to say the right thing in the most forcible way. So, when he had found the right thing, he took the simplest words that lay to his hand, and the readiest illustration. Socrates did the same. A higher than Socrates did the same. He talked to them for two hours. During all that time, not a soul stirred. All eyes were fixed upon the speaker. There was no interruption, save now and again when a woman sobbed. It was not that he told them the hackneyed things that preachers love to dwell upon-the general phrases, the emotional doctrines; all these Mr. Eddrup passed by. He told them unpalatable things: little things: things which are a perpetual hindrance to the progress of the soul, which yet seem to have nothing to do with the soul. He laid down directions