men, leaning over the table, and eyeing Vernon with a serio-comic face.

"Oh, he is all right again!-eh! Vernon?" replied Reginald, giving his friend a cautionary tap on the shoulder; "it was just the heat that affected him."

"Yes," exclaimed Vernon, recovering himself, and speaking with unusual eagerness and rapidity, while he stole a half-frightened glance at Major Ramsay: "this room is excessively warm."

"Is it?" said the Major, with provoking emphasis; "to me it seems remarkably cool and pleasant!"

Again Mr. Vernon's face grew pale, and his eye quivered with an uncertain and gloomy fire; but Herbert, who saw and pitied his distress, came to his relief, by proposing that they should return to the drawing-room.

"What a fool you are, Vernon!" hissed Reginald in his ear, as they walked upstairs together. "I could hardly conceive you would make such an exhibition of yourself."

"I can't help it," he said deprecatingly.

"But you must help it," roughly returned Reginald, "unless you wish to hear the whole truth proclaimed."

"Has he not told everything, except the names?" cried Vernon, bitterly, "the meddlesome wretch!

"Will you come near the instrument, Mr. Vernon?" inquired Herbert, conquering his repugnance, and approaching him with a grave though kindly smile; "Sir Edward is going to give us some music."

Not liking to refuse, he hastily disengaged his hand from Reginald's arm, and followed his host to the other end of the room, where the young baronet was just seating himself at the organ.

"What an extraordinary story the Major was telling us at dinner!" observed Reginald, drawing Herbert aside, about twenty minutes later, and speaking in a tone of affected carelessness, though he eagerly watched the effect of his words.

"Very," replied Herbert, gravely.

"Are you persuaded of the truth of it?" continued Reginald, lowering his voice.

He

Would that I could say no!" aspirated his cousin, straightening his person, as if to ease some internal pain, and fixing his eyes full of deep sad meaning upon Reginald's face. "O Reginald!stopped, and leant his elbow on the mantelpiece in an attitude of profound dejection."

"Pooh!" said the young man, throwing an uneasy glance around him; "I merely wanted to put you on your guard; but of course, if you choose to credit all you hear, it is nothing to me-I am not so easily imposed upon!"

"Whether I believe it or not is of little consequence, Reginald! but since you have thus unsolicited introduced the subject, it would be neither kind nor honest of me to lead you to suppose that I consider you guiltless in this matter. On the contrary, I think your conduct deserving of the gravest censure; and I can only hope that you also will soon be brought to look upon it in the same light."

There was a quiet dignity and solemn earnestness in Herbert's manner as he uttered these words of gentle reproof, which added greatly to the force of what he said.

Before Reginald could have time to frame a reply, his cousin had left him, and reached the opposite end of the room, where he entered into conversation with Mr. Cleveland, whose quiet and thoughtful demeanour, ever since they left the dinner-table, he had remarked with interest and surprise.

CHAPTER LIII.

THE MEDITATED STRIKE.

"Oh, well for man, to whom is given

One day from meaner thoughts reprieved!
Oh, ill for man, if all the seven

For earthly needs he toiled and grieved!
O sons of toil, in respite holy,

Come forth the works of God to see!
But first within His temple lowly,

Unbare the head, and bow the knee!

C. L. FORD.

DATING from the evening when Mr. Snapson was first made acquainted with some of Herbert's peculiar engagements, his manner towards him underwent a very perceptible change.

An accession of coldness and sullen formality took the place of the bland courtesy with which he had of late regarded him, and he watched his proceedings with jealous and prejudiced eyes, seeking, as it were, to detect some blemish in a character which puzzled and rendered him uncomfortable by the striking contrast it presented to his own.

Albert was often the unconscious instrument of adding to his father's uneasiness, for he appeared quite indignant if others failed to view Herbert's performances in the same admiring spirit as he did himself; and Mr. Snapson, strongly as he felt on the subject, thought it wiser to refrain from openly discussing it with him, though his sentiments were well understood by Mrs. Snapson and the rest of the family.

Secretly he tried many methods of severing the bond which seemed to unite Herbert to his idolised son; but he had little reason to congratulate himself on effecting his aim, Albert's admiration continuing unabated long after Mr. Snapson had fondly hoped it would expire in a natural death.

Perhaps he might have been unable to account even to his own mind for the grievous disappointment this caused him; and yet it was scarcely surprising that he should shrink from listening to the constantly repeated praises of one whose whole course of action was a tacit reproach to himself.

How could it, for instance, be a source of gratification for him to learn that those duties which ought rightfully to devolve upon him should be undertaken by another, and that other almost a stranger to the neighbourhood?

It is just possible, moreover, that Mr. Snapson's jealousy and suspicion were strengthened by comparing his unpopularity (of which he could not help being slightly conscious) with the influence Herbert had in so short a time acquired over his employés. It mattered little to him whether this influence was of an elevating or degrading nature; he was too illiberal and narrow-minded to approve of the former, too strict and austere to tolerate the latter.

A very small amount of sagacity was required to enable one to perceive that, although Mr. Snapson had originally occupied a humble position in life, and known in his own person the toils of labour and the inconveniences and discomforts of poverty, it did not, therefore, follow that he treated those under himself with any unusual degree of indulgence or consideration.

That his ruling passion still held undivided sway over him was evidenced by the manner in which he conducted all business transactions, no less than the absorbing interest and keen vigilance he manifested in the successful working of his various long-established manufactories; and, whilst rigorously exacting in his demands, stern and unforgiving where he saw, or fancied, any slight dereliction of duty; and extorting from his workmen the utmost extent of labour they were capable of rendering; he cared no more for their comfort or prosperity, either bodily, mentally, or spiritually, than if they had been mere machines, destitute alike of sense or feeling.

It was in vain that they represented to him the ruinous condition of their cottages, and also sought redress from a few other grievances, of which they considered themselves justly entitled to complain; Mr. Snapson treated their respectful remonstrances with proud disdain, and flatly refused to accede to their joint petitions. It was at this peculiar juncture that Herbert's influence became especially apparent.

In his visitations among the people, murmurs, not loud but deep, reached his ear; and obscure threats of vengeance, or darkly hinted denunciations of wrath against some nameless individual, were frequently commenced in his hearing, both by men and women, who stopped abruptly on remembering in whose presence they were; and when he would have urged them to set his mind at rest, by explaining the mysterious hints, they shook their heads, resolutely pressed their lips together, and remained obstinately deaf to all his earnest entreaties.

Days passed on, and Mr. Snapson's employés pursued their avocations as heretofore, going to their work in the morning with a heavy, sullen cloud upon their brow, and returning home at night with gloomy, rebellious spirits, intent only on revenge.

Meantime, secret meetings were held, speeches made, resolutions proposed, seconded, and unanimously carried; and ultimately it was decided that suddenly, and as one man, they would leave the service of their haughty and imperious master.

The following pay-day was fixed upon as the proper time for taking this conclusive step, as it chanced to fall on a Saturday.

Every precaution having been used, and the meetings conducted with the utmost secrecy, both as regards time and place, the deluded workmen had no fear of their purpose being suspected; and there was perhaps scarcely one among them who did not rejoice at the thought of the pecuniary loss which such a proceeding must entail upon Mr. Snapson.

Saturday came and went; the hands received their wages in the same quiet and undemonstrative fashion as they were accustomed to. There was nothing in their manner to mark the deep surgings which had been agitating their breasts, nothing to arouse suspicion or awaken distrust.

The holy Sabbath, too, dawned peacefully and brightly on the sons

of toil; but, instead of setting forth with their wives and families for the house of prayer, they might have been seen loitering about in twos and threes, earnestly conversing together; while the sounds which came now and again from the badly repaired cottages, spoke of bustle and confusion, such as could only be accounted for by supposing that some of the female part of the population were packing their furniture, previous to its removal.

Not all!

In more than one of those otherwise miserable dwellings it could with truth be written-Jehovah Shammah-the Lord is there!

There sits a mother, surrounded by her children; and as she reads to them out of the Book of Life, and answers their simple yet intelligent questions, a holy light shines on her pale, wan face, and the anxious lines which care-not time-have deeply furrowed across her meek brow, all disappear before the heaven-lit smile that glances over lip and cheek, like some stray gleam of glorious sunshine, forcing its way into an erewhile darkened chamber!

And the husband and father, where is he?

Not far off. Do you see that largest group of men assembled near the carpenter's shed (empty to-day, Herbert having gone to preach to a set of miners in a distant hamlet), and that tall Herculean man, to whom the others are listening with such deferential attention? That is Daniel Mortice, one of the most skilful and industrious workmen belonging to the Colton factory. He is also a favourite with his fellow-workmen, because of the undaunted boldness and self-reliant independence of his character, which led him to rebel against anything like injustice or oppression, and encouraged the more timid and irresolute to follow his example. In this affair he took, as usual, a prominent part. His proud spirit chafed at the contumely Mr. Snapson had heaped upon them in their recent interview with him; and it was he who first muttered the ominous word "strike," and represented to his companions the cowardice of tamely submitting to their rights being thus ignominiously thrust aside, and without a struggle own themselves defeated!

His arguments, heightened and enforced by a kind of rude eloquence, very effective in such cases, were quickly and heartily responded to. Only a few of the older and more prudent hands (having probably learnt from past experience that in the event of their purposes being carried into execution, the consequences to themselves and families would be none of the pleasantest) held back for a while, dubious and hesitating.

Even these were, however, now united; and if they felt any remaining doubts as to the wisdom of the plan, they kept them locked up within their own breasts.

Had, then, Herbert's labours among them resulted merely in appa

rent success?

Ah, no; some of these very individuals had been reclaimed from open and long-practised sin by his instrumentality, and for months had given convincing proof of a thorough change of mind and heart. In this matter, however erroneous their opinion may have been, they persuaded themselves and each other that the course they proposed adopting was, under the circumstances, perfectly justifiable.

But to proceed with my story.

The quiet Sabbath hours sped rapidly away; and ere the evening