Charles smiled: 'I was afraid you might think I was inclined to set forth my opinions, wishing you to adopt them.'

'Not at all; so you may fearlessly proceed.'

'Well; let me tell you what I think of the feelings with which a believer looks forward to death. Suppose for a moment, that instead of belonging to the British service, we were an army of adversaries; and instead of coming here to defend the poor Portuguese, or assist the oppressed Spaniards, we were merely seeking our fortunes by the sword. Now, in such a case, if our general led us up the summits of the Pyrennees, and showed us the lovely provinces of southern France, and told us they would be ours when our service was done, do you think we would look forward to the end of that service more as a relief from trials, or as the era that would put us in possession of all we could desire? Just such is my feeling when I think on death; it is a thought of joyful anticipation, that could, I believe, make my heart glow in happiness, as well as be its consolation in trouble. When I read the promises of God to believers, and think of their full completion, when faith shall be turned to sight. When I think of my suffering Saviour, and look forward to beholding him crowned with glory, Oh, then I am hardly content to linger

here, though I believe my lot in life has fallen to me in as pleasant places as that of most persons; I mean that I am as free from trials, and cares, and vexations, as any human being I suppose could be. Yes, Traverston, when I picture to myself the new heaven and new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness, perfect universal righteousness; when I think of the full fruition of blessedness that believers enjoy in the presence of their Lord, I feel that then my soul is "looking forward, hastening unto the coming of the day of God.""

I thought of the awful description of that day, which is given in the verse he quoted, 'wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent beat.' 2 Peter iii. 12. And that faith appeared strong indeed that could triumphantly look for, and joyfully haste unto such a day.

We had been conversing in my tent, where I lay in the heat of the day, stretched on my mattrass, for I had not then recovered my strength, Charles was sitting on a camp-stool beside me, and neither of us observed that there was a listener to our conversation; Courtenay had come in unperceived; and though he only made a smiling remark on our noticing him, he did not appear to be altogether unimpressed with its seriousness.

"What an enthusiastic boy that is!' he said, as Charles left the tent.

'He is a heavenly-minded boy,' I exclaimed with warmth.

'Oh! he has always been a very saint; and I think, Traverston, he has found a disciple in you.'

Would that he had!'

'Why, surely you do not want to be more religious than you are?"

I always disliked speaking on religion with persons who I thought would only lead me more astray, and so I replied, rather emphatically, Perhaps, Courtenay, neither you nor I know anything at all of real religion.'

'Perhaps not;' he answered, with unimpaired good-humour, and a look that seemed to say the doubt gave him little uneasiness. But a moment after he looked thoughtfully, and said, after a short silence, as if abruptly breaking off a chain of thought: 'Well, let us make our lives as correct as we can, and then I hope a soldier's death, in a righteous cause if we die-will be a passport for

us to another world.'

Take up the Sierras in your puny hand,' said a deep toned voice behind us, 'hurl yonder rock from its basis; but think not to offer unto God a satisfaction for your soul's sinfulness. Neither the correctness of your life, (if correct you call it) nor the nobleness

of your death, can avail you aught. There is no plea you dare to offer Him, but the death and merits of his Son.'

'I should be very sorry to deny those merits, uncle.'

There is the way that men deceive themselves, and contrive to destroy their souls so gently, that they are not to be convinced of their self-destruction till it is too late,' said Fitzmorris.

"Why, Alick, I tell you that you live every day of your life in the practical denial of those merits and in what you said just now to Traverston, you denied them. If you read in your Bible the account of the Redeemer's death, and fully and entirely believed that it was the eternal, ever-living God, who bowed his head upon the cross, and cried, "It is finished!" and if you weighed the full import of these few words, it is impossible, that if you believed, you would attempt to add to his finished work, that you would not cast your soul upon it for salvation; and seeing that Jesus loved you and gave himself for you, you would love him, and give up your sins and your pride for him, and desire to be holy, and humble, and to live with him and to him.'

Courtenay seemed a little displeased by his uncle's decisive and uncompromising manner: but willing to avoid such argu

ments, he left the tent; and while Fitzmorris was saying to me, a friend to all truth, but the truth of God,' he put his head in again at the door, and said, laughingly, 'uncle, I do not think myself by a full half so bad a man as you think me.'

CHAPTER VI.

I HAD just recovered my strength, and was able either to march forwards, or take the field with my companions, when we were roused at midnight by the beat of the alarm drum. We started up, and stood to arms, for the picquets had sent word that the enemy was in motion; but after two hours' anxious expectation, it was discovered that they were retiring; their camp fires were left burning, but they had drawn off behind the hills: and the following day we were ordered to fall back, as it was discovered that the project the French had long meditated, of re-entering Portugal, they were about to put into execution.

Napoleon was then at the height of his overgrown power, and exercising what might