\"margaret, dear!\" said he, drawing her closer, \"think of the early martyrs;think of the thousands who hāve suffered.\"

\"but, father,\" said she, suddenly lifting up her flushed, tear-wet face, \"theearly martyrs suffered for the truth, while you--oh! dear, dear papa!\"

\"i suffer for conscience\" sake, my child,\" said he, with a dignity that wasonly tremulous from the acute sensitiveness of his character; \"i must dowhat my conscience bids. i hāve borne long with self-reproach thatwould hāve roused any mind less torpid and cowardly than mine.\" heshook his head as he went on. \"your poor mother\"s fond wish, gratifiedat last in the mocking way in which over-fond wishes are too oftenfulfilled--sodom apples as they are--has brought on this crisis, forwhich i ought to be, and i hope i am thankful. it is not a month sincethe bishop offered me another living; if i had accepted it, i should hāvehad to make a fresh declaration of conformity to the liturgy at myinstitution. margaret, i tried to do it; i tried to content myself withsimply refusing the additional preferment, and stopping quietly here,-stranglingmy conscience now, as i had strained it before. god forgiveme!\"

he rose and walked up and down the room, speaking low words of self-reproach and humiliation, of which margaret was thankful to hear butfew. at last he said,\"margaret, i return to the old sad burden we must leāve helstone.\"

\"yes! i see. but when?\"

\"i hāve written to the bishop--i dare say i hāve told you so, but i forgetthings just now,\" said mr. hale, collapsing into his depressed manner assoon as he came to talk of hard matter-of-fact details, \"informing him ofmy intention to resign this vicarage. he has been most kind; he has usedarguments and expostulations, all in vain--in vain. they are but what ihāve tried upon myself, without āvail. i shall hāve to take my deed ofresignation, and wait upon the bishop myself, to bid him farewell. thatwill be a trial, but worse, far worse, will be the parting from my dearpeople. there is a curate appointed to read prayers--a mr. brown. hewill e to stay with us to-morrow. next sunday i preach my farewell

sermon.\"

was it to be so sudden then? thought margaret; and yet perhaps it wasas well. lingering would only add stings to the pain; it was better to bestunned into numbness by hearing of all these arrangements, whichseemed to be nearly pleted before she had been told. \"what doesmamma say?\" asked she, with a deep sigh.

to her surprise, her father began to walk about again before heanswered. at length he stopped and replied:

．tt/.

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