Nay,

arched the "little line" in a perfect arcade, for the first few yards of its extent. the maiden had forgotten her timidity in her desire to grace the hissing Pegasus, who was now first to run his race; for I saw she had wound a wreath of her blushing roses around the mouth of the monster, who thanklessly withered them with his boiling breath. The crush was immense. Westerdale and the colonel, immediately on alighting from the carriage, were swallowed up, as it were, in the "little line." Several of the directors came forward to welcome their chairman, and Westerdale, with a proud and joyous step, moved on with them to the head of the station to join the host, who had rallied round Lord Landeville, under the broad yellow flag of the Eastborough and Hurlestone Railway. Presently, a shout of applause rang through the station-it was to hail the noble lord who just then placed his foot on the step, and entered the foremost carriage.

Grace trembled as the crowd pressed forwards to the open doors, and she was almost torn from my arm in the crush. A moment after she was veritably separated from me, and I presently saw her slight figure hanging on the arm of a tall young man, who resolutely pushed his way through the throng, till he placed his charge in safety with her father and the colonel. He then returned for Julia, whose seat was reserved; and, by the time he had made his way back to me, the whistle sounded, and was re-echoed with such a shriek by the urchins who stood without the barrier, that I was almost deafened. The train half moved, and I felt myself being dragged by that young, lusty arm, linked within mine, till, at length, we reached the open space by the engine. My guide sprang to the tender; and, at the peril of my neck, I leapt after him, aided by his hand. Here was a novel position for Uncle John-the express traveller-hand-in-glove with the stoker!

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"We are well off here, Mr. Fellowes," said Mr. Northcote, as he drew breath after his exertions. "Our position has, at least the charm of novelty."

"You're a pretty young fellow!" I replied, patting him on the shoulder ; "abducting young ladies, and, then, e'en carrying off the old uncle himself. However, Northcote, here we are, actually off on your little line. I congratulate you, and don't at all wonder you like to keep foremost where you have

"I have engaged to lay a line next in Canada."

"And why are you so very glad to leave us, pray ?"

"Because, here I have been robbed of a treasure, and I cannot bear to look on and see it trampled on by the spoiler. Mr. Fellowes, do you understand me? or is my saying an enigma ?"

"Clear as a telegraph, Northcote; and right glad am I you've spoken out at last. Shake hands on that confession, and make it again in plain English to your treasure's plain old uncle. You love Grace ?" "I do, Mr. Fellowes. Have you not known that since you first saw us together! And surely as truth speaks from the eye, Grace loved me; aye, and does so now, for all they have torn her from me, and are going to sacrifice her to that Moloch of wealth and position, personified in Colonel Menzies, Yet she has consented-submitted, I should say that is the crushing point."

"Has she? Who told you so?"

Why, Mr. Fellowes," exclaimed Northcote, in astonishment; surely you need not hear from me first that Grace is this day to promise herself to the colonel ! It is an acknowledged fact."

"Acknowledged by all but herself, then, Northcote. I advise you, if you have any inclination to recover your treasure, to ask her, without delay, if you have any chance of doing so. Depend upon it you'll get an answer, and, I say, Northcote, if it's a favourable one let Uncle John know: he'll face her father's anger, to spare his little Grace."

"Mr. Fellowes, God bless you!" said the young engineer, wringing my hand as he spoke, and turning from me to recover his self-possession before the train stopped at the first station.

I stood up to watch the sensation our approach would cause; and, just then, bang went the engine through a couple of gates

stretched across the line, whilst portions of the smashed bars flew in every direction. One spiteful splinter dashed at my hat, carrying it clean off its course. I felt inclined to hide my diminished head amongst the coals as we drew up amidst the cheers of the crowd on the platform; but there was no help for it. The little boys, sitting outside on the gates, espied my grey hairs flying in the wind, and hesitated not to quote the precedent of John Gilpin at my expense. However, one of the crew, more civilized than the rest, ran back with all his might and main, and returned with my hat-no doubt rejoicing in the lucky chance that won him a shilling. After this accident, Mr. Northcote urged me to leave the tender; and, I must say, I felt much more at my ease amongst the cushions of the railway carriage, opposite my little Grace.

The next station was Somerton; and great and ever increasing was the excitement of Westerdale as we neared and passed the wellknown landmarks which looked strangely unreal as they flitted so rapidly before the eye. Here we were to take up the party from the Hall, and others from the neighbourhood, for whom carriages were reserved. It had been arranged between Edmund and his father that the latter should wave a blue flag from the carriage window at a certain spot on the line; and that, on that signal, a brass band on the platform should strike up "See the Conquering Hero comes!" while three cheers heralded our approach. We heard the band distinctly, and its tones swelled upon the ear as we neared the station; the deafening cheers rang in the air, and plainly, as we relaxed our speed, we discerned the familiar faces that lined the platform, anxiously waiting for us to stop and take them in. Judge, then, of the blank dismay that seized alike on them and us, as we slowly passed the station; and, then, gathering up our speed, in a second or two dashed forward along the line. vain Westerdale stretched more than half his body out of the window, and shouted"Stop!" the current of air may have driven the sound back to the station to tantalize the disappointed expectants there, but it had no effect on the engine driver, who swiftly wheeled us on seven good miles to the next station.

In

We did not hear till some hours later, when, by dint of Edmund's strenuous exertions, his party joined us in the tent at

Hurlestone, at the end of the feast, after a long drive from Somerton, how the mistake had arisen. It appeared, however, that the official, new to his office-and, no doubt, a little flurried by the exultant Babel around him-hoisted the wrong signal; and, whatever might have been the stoker's private opinion on the point, he dared not act contrary to signals; so, seeing the white arm hoisted obliquely, he obeyed its injunction of caution to the full, and then sped onward as before.

At length, after little more than an hour, we had run our triumphant course, and for the last time relaxed our speed as we passed under a whole series of flowery arches, and drew up at the grand climacteric of Hurlestone. It was a strange, dreary spot to find one's self landed on as the terminus of such an exciting journey. The occupants of the train turned out on a broad, half-finished platform, backed by the red shell of the station-house, which had just reached its second story. The prospect around was one vast track, unbroken by the slightest eminence for miles distant, without one feature of interest, except the the broad ocean rolling beneath us, and a ruined church on its shore. Not all the festive garlands, nor the crashing music of the bands, nor even the gay crowds that had poured forth there, could take off the look of desolation from that bleak spot.

Westerdale had no such deprecating thoughts of the place, I am sure, as he paced the platform with Lord Landeville and the directors, whilst the loud cheers of the crowd proclaimed that the little line was opened. His was an eye of faith, no doubt, with which he peered into the next generation, and saw Hurlestone a flourishing town, with its villas stretching far on the cliffs, and its crowds of visitors winged almost hourly from Eastborough to the station, of which he had so lately laid the foundation-stone.

After an hour's stroll on the sands, which tended to awaken the appetites of the few hundreds assembled at Hurlestone on this occasion, the large marquee on the cliff became the centre of attraction, and had soon enclosed that vast family under its brightly tinted canvas. It was a pretty sight, certainly; and Grace, who did not leave my side for a moment, was in ecstacies of delight. The tent was supported on three pillars, richly ornamented with garlands and evergreens, and from its apex hung the

many coloured flags which different railway companies had lent for the occasion. But Grace could not take her eyes from her father, the chairman, pre-eminent at the high table, supported on the right by Lord Landeville, and on the left by the Honourable Colonel -; however, we will not name him, for Grace did not look left at all, but drew my attention to the glorious yellow flag of the Eastborough and Hurlestone Railway, arranged in a tasteful device behind the chairman; while, above that, the most striking decorations of the tent, were blended the union flag of Great Britain, the tri-colour of France, and the shining crescents of Turkey's beautiful ensign.

Who shall describe the "bill of fare" provided by the liberality of the directors? Not Uncle John, who always looks out for plain beef and mutton, and knows nothing of gelatine à l'apsic, or choux à la glace. Suffice it that the din of knives and forks, the explosion of champagne bottles, and the rattling of plates became almost deafening in that multitude; and glad was I when at length these sounds died away, and grace was said by the vicar of Somerton.

Then came the speeches. Alas! I am afraid my pen must not attempt to reproduce them. My ear only caught them in detached phrases; for the wind was rising without, and ever and anon flapped under the canvas, loud as the report of a gun. Grace and I amused ourselves with watching the artist of the great illustrated London paper, who sat close by us, and, while the speeches were proceeding, produced a spirited sketch of the tent and its inmatesamong the latter of whom Grace blushingly recognized her own portrait in the foreground, as the artist handed her his completed task for approval. I was too far from Westerdale to hear a word he said in the rising storm.

The toast of the day was given-"Success to the Eastborough and Hurlestone Railway!" and then healths were proposed and responded to, and long speeches were made by the eloquent of the little lineists, which, at times, produced vast sensation amongst the auditors, so that laughter and cheering rose above the howling of the storm. At length Lord Landeville rose to propose the health of the chairman, and that assembly, which like all great assemblies, ever eager to catch the accents of the honeyed lips of aristocracy, rose almost en masse to hear him. And they were not the

only listeners: the very elements huzzaed for admission into the tent, till, suddenly, old Boreas rent the canvas, and forced himself an entrance, followed by such a stream of rain as would have drenched those who were seated beneath the opening, had not Mr. Northcote, who just then sprang from obscurity, with admirable presence of mind leapt lightly to the high table, and by his single powerful arm held the rent together, till effectual means could be applied for preventing an extension of the mischief. After that burst the storm subsided, and I was fortunate enough to hear the health of Mr. Northcote proposed, and to swell the applause which followed the proposal.

"If," said the young engineer, rising to reply, "it is to honour me as an individual, that this toast is proposed, I cannot respond to it; but if I am only the type of my class -the working class, gentlemen-I thank you warmly. True, the little line is now opened to the public three weeks earlier than it was believed the work could be accomplished; but for that the praise is solely due to the energetic efforts of my labourers. Gentlemen, allow me to toast the operatives of our little line!""

Northcote sat down amidst enthusiastic cheering; his toast was warmly responded to, and shortly after, the company separated.

"Uncle John! don't leave me," said Grace, clinging close to my arm, as she perceived Colonel Menzies elbowing his way through the throng, evidently bent on joining her; "this way-any way-to avoid him!"

We passed through the midst of the supplementary refreshment tent, picking our way amongst plates, and dishes, and bottles, till we reached the opening which looked towards the sea. Grace hastened on some hundred yards, and then first looked behind her, and drew a long breath when she found that we were alone on the cliff, and the colonel evidently thrown off the scent. I must say that I rather dreaded the question which I felt sure would follow :-"Now, Uncle John, what am I to do to get free?" for, positively, I knew not what to advise Fortunately, Grace had not time to tax my wits, before we were joined by a third person our good genius, in fact-who, I hoped, would extricate herself and me from our difficulties.

As we walked on, we were startled by the sudden apparition, on the edge of the cliff, of a pair of hands grasping the sod, prepara

tory to the spring of their owner from the cliff-side to its surface. In another moment Mr. Northcote stood erect before us.

"Miss Westerdale has anticipated me, Mr. Fellowes," he said, “in undertaking to lionize you over Hurlestone. I had proposed to myself that pleasure."

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"Lionize me!" I replied, in astonishment, Why, Northcote, there is not one object of interest in this wild, dreary expanse; and I was only this moment thinking what a strange scheme my brother and you have taken in hand, to attempt to make a place of this bleak, desolate spot.'

"You do not think Hurlestone so barren of interest, I hope, Miss Westerdale ?" said Northcote.

Indeed," replied Grace, "I am afraid I agree with Uncle John in caring very little for papa's little line,' except," she added, pleasantly, "for the sake of those who made it."

Northcote's face brightened.

"Well,"

he continued, "I am glad my work has any charm, though it be an extraneous one; but, Miss Westerdale, do you not know that Hurlestone is rich in interest on its own account? indeed, more so, as it appears to me, than any place with which I have yet been concerned. Do you not know its history? its strange associations with the past?"

Grace and I alike assured him of our utter ignorance, and his dark, intelligent eyes glowed as we entreated him to enlighten us on the subject.

"Can you bear a long story, Mr. Fellowes?" he inquired. "I think it will be

worth your hearing."

"Well, if I grow weary, Northcote," I replied, "I shall just 'rest my head upon this lap of earth,' while you spin me to sleep with your yarn: so, sit down and invest this wilderness with interest if you can."

Northcote had guided us to a gentle rise on the cliff, and there, on its shady side, Grace and I seated ourselves on the grass to listen to his tale.

"Seven centuries ago," began he, "when that dense town of Eastborough, the smoke of which hangs like a cloud on the horizon behind us, was only a fishing village, the cliff on which we are seated was part of the broad lands in the rear of the town of Hurlestone, that lost town, now buried in the ocean, seven miles out beyond the white line of foam breaking at our feet. Those were the dark ages of intellect as well as history;

and, as generation after generation passed away, their very name would have been swept by ocean from the earth, but for the scanty records of their existence left us by

the monks.

"You have heard of the 'Sister Churches,' Miss Westerdale ? They are the landmarks of your county in the regions of antiquity and romance. Go back with me to the days of our first Henry, and, in fancy,

sweeping the ocean back seven miles, as I have said, picture to yourself an open country like this in its place, crowned at its greatest eminence by a nest of huts built around the ancient monastery, or cell,' as it was called, of Hurlestone. In those days this exposed coast of yours was thick set with these cells,' or 'alien priories,' small monastic establishments, founded by the Norman barons, who appointed priors over them to collect the revenues of their estates, and crush the liberty of the Saxon churls with the double weight of temporal and spiritual authority. About three miles north of Hurlestone, then lay the town of Rodmare. the last vestige of which was engulphed by the sea within the memory of some of the elders who were with us in the tent to-day; and there, too, was a cell of Benedictine monks of the same foundation as the larger priory of Hurlestone.

Now, in the changes of property from hand to hand, it fell out that these two domains of Hurlestone and Rodmare came to be possessed by two sisters, who, as the tale was told to me, lived together in the ancient abbey of Kirklands. To them occurred a good and noble thought-shall I offer it," said Northcote, lowering his tone, and looking fixedly at Grace, "as a precedent to the future mistress of that same old abbey ?"

But Grace turned from him, and tears filling her eyes as the recollection of the colonel was thus abruptly brought before her, she hid her face on my shoulder, and cried passionately, "Uncle John, he must not talk so. I will not ever be mistress of Kirklands."

"Miss Westerdale," said Northcote, after a rather embarrassing silence, "will it calm the terrors I have aroused to assure you that a stronger will than yours will keep such a fate from you?"

It was long before Grace lifted her face from my shoulder; but Northcote continued his tale:

"To these sisters, then, occurred a good

and noble thought; none other than to devote their wealth to the honour of its Giver. They resolved to build a church for their tenantry; and as the two manors were contiguous, it was decided that one church would be sufficient for both. The site of Rodmare was fixed upon, and the building favourably rose to a certain height, when, alas! these ancient maidens proceeded to verify the saying of one far more ancient than they the quotation will, I hope, be lost upon your niece, Mr. Fellowes," said Northcote, parenthetically. "Virgil had discovered long before the humble inhabitants of Rodmare that

Fæmina.'

"Varium ea mutabile semper

The sisters grew contentious, one desiring to fortify the church with a tower, the other, to ornament it with a spire; and so high ran the strife between them, that an umpire from the cell of Hurlestone was called in to settle it. The worthy Benedict took counsel by bead and book before he presumed to give advice on so important a point, and then humbly pronounced it to be the will of Heaven that each sister should build a church on her own domain, crowning it as she thought best, with tower or steeple. His suggestion was carried out at once; and soon Hurlestone church reared its form on the cliff, and pointed its spire to the skies, from which the monks say it descended. Heaven did not long look on it in blessing, however: being situated near the sea, which, even in those remote times, had begun the encroachments it has so ravenously carried on since, it fell a victim to the violence of the waves, in the second century of its age.

"Towards A.D. 1500, another church was built at Hurlestone, far inland; and, with many a prayer to St. Nicholas to keep from it the watery foe of its predecessor, the monks dedicated it to that saint. Look out yonder, Miss Westerdale, to that crumbling ruin now on the edge of the cliff, and say if their orisons were heard. You are astonished; and there is something startling in the fact, that those mouldering walls, now overhanging the sands, were, three centuries ago, scarcely within sound of ocean's roar ! That ruin is the only remnant of the sister churches; and even that, you see, is not the original foundation. What a land you live in! Think how strange that future generations may say, as they pick up shells

on the shore, 'Here once stood the hall and park of Somerton !'

"But now for the second, the veritable sister church, which has so recently passed into a very myth. Rodmare long survived its contemporary at Hurlestone, but its monstrous, insidious foe slowly but surely marched on to its destruction.

"Aye, sir! I well remember the sister kirk at Rodmare,' said an old woman to me the other day, as I talked on the subject; 'for I was married there sixty years ago come Martinmas, and twenty years after that I buried my good man in the churchyard; and now the sea has getten the kirk and him too!'

"Yes; at the beginning of this century Rodmare, of which not a vestige now remains, was a flourishing village, with its neat cottages, its tall mill, its parsonage. house, and, above all, its fine old Saxon church, with its square tower ever speaking to the initiated of the strength of woman's will. The churchyard then intervened between the edifice and the sea, and was itself so far from the cliff, that on sunny days the urchins of the village came there to play dab-and-trigger, and esteemed it a rare feat if one amongst them could pitch the ball over the low wall and the cliff beyond, into the sea. But villages, as well as empires, are doomed to flourish and to fade; and this parish, with its sister kirk,' underwent a very rapid dissolution. The cliff went first, leaving the churchyard exposed to the perpetual lashing of the waves. Then were strange sights often seen after a fierce storm had torn the earth from the relics of the dead-old people, tottering on the verge of life, slowly moving forth, and recognizing on the shore the ghastly remains of those they had known and revered; whitened bones, projecting from the cliff, which the lashing of a few more waves drew successfully away; and coffins, empty, or fast filling with water, tossed hither and thither on that impure surf. They say it was strange how few seemed to care for the watery dese cration going on at Rodmare. Only one or two bodies were removed to a more certain resting-place; the rest were left to the sea.

"At length the churchyard was gone, and Rodmare church stood, like a solitary beacon, on the verge of the cliff, perpetually undermined by the billows, and offering a powerless resistance to their encroachments. It was dismantled, and left desolate; but