Elinor's eyes were dimmed with tears, while D'Arcy did not quite know how an odd choking in his throat might end. "Go thou and do likewise," were words sounding in his heart and her heart all the while. Many other houses they passed by, which Leslie refused to take them to, as it might do mischief; many other faces they saw, and many other voices they heard, which did not raise Lady Elinor's opinion of manufacturing towns. Leslie told them, however, that things were looking worse than usual just now, in consequence of an unsuccessful strike a short time before, and the mistaken workmen and their unfortunate families were still suffering from the wasted time, and debts, and "scores," necessarily incurred when cupboard and purse were alike empty; she told them likewise that this was the worst view they could have had of manufacturing life, which had its various aspects like everything else,--the mills were old and dirty, the mill-owners tyrannical and money-making, but she hoped that the schoolmaster Experience was abroad among mas

N

ters now-a-days, and that those who would not do better from principle, would at least do so from interest; she added, however, that the blame was not quite one-sided. The improvidence and extravagance in food of the English peasantry, especially in the manufacturing districts, was very great ; that miserable dirty house with the broken window which she pointed out, would often have smoking within its walls, luxuries which people of much greater means would never think of in Scotland, a duck and green peas for dinner one day, a sweetbread for supper another, with plenty of strong beer and ale, while the poor children go ragged and soapless, and the wife remains destitute of the ordinary implements for keeping her house in order. Just then, Sir John joined them, and confirmed part of Leslie's statement, by being in a very bad humour with the dirty, ill-regulated factories which he had seen, and the harsh, indifferent manners of the masters to the "hands."

There was no "talking over" that day's expedition with Leslie North, or even with D'Arcy; Lady Elinor had no language for it except deep down in the recesses of a heart that was awaking from the long slumber of self, sloth, and vanity.

CHAPTER XI.

GOOD PEOPLE.

"If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly an the sinner appear?"-1 PET. iv. 18.

«All that watch for iniquity are cut off: that make a man an offender for a word, . . and turn aside the just for a thing of nought."-ISA. xxix. 20, 21.

There is none 'good' save God, said Jesus Christ.

Now may the good Lord pardon all good men."-
E. BARRET BROWNING.

"A saint

and what imports the name,

Thus banded in derision's game;

Holy and separate from sin,

To good, nay even to God akin!

A saint! oh, scorner, give some sign,

Some seal to prove the title mine,
And warmer thanks thou shalt command,
Than bringing kingdoms in thy hand.
"Would though it were in scorn applied,

That term the test of truth could bide;

Like kingly salutation given,

In mockery to the King of Heaven."--MARRIOTT.

LADY FAIRTON was one of those who labour to bind fast together what have for ever been put asunder, "God and mammon." Lady Fairton's name flourished in every subscrip

tion list, and in every list of patronesses for charitable sales. Lady Fairton was secretary to two missionary associations and treasurer to a Dorcas Clothing Society, facts of which only a few of her ultra-fashionable acquaintances were left in ignorance. Lady Fairton was a regular attender at church, though in a locomotive style, for she would follow the fashionable preacher of the day, from church to chapel, as the case might be, and was almost as charmed to have a clerical lion at her house, as the last new author, or a real live marquis. Lady Fairton never went to balls herself; but she had had her daughters' feet carefully educated by Madame la Grace, so it seemed to be more a matter of astonishment to herself than to other people, when the very satisfactory results appeared in every ball-room of the season. None see and shrink from inconsistency more than the young, so Lady Fairton's daughters were more worldly than the daughters of the worldliest; it was impossible for them to esteem an obscured, nay, deformed religion.