saw her blooming in health and beauty, the next beheld her a lifeless corpse."

The friar's voice faultered, and his eyes filled with tears. After a few mo ments pause, he continued-" This event plunged me into affliction, but it produced a salutary effect upon my mind. I reviewed my conduct, and I acknowledged the justice of that un-' erring arm which tore from me the object of my sinful passion. The world now became hateful to me; I resigned my estates to my nearest of kin, and assumed the monastic habit.

"Slowly did peace again revisit my troubled soul; but penitence and prayer have at length, I trust, atoned for my sins; and I look forward in the humble hope of pardon. Some years after I had assumed the cowl, the confessor of a neighbouring convent being ill, I was sent for to supply his place among the penitents, who poured forth the secrets of their hearts at the foot of the confessional; one well-remembered voice

k my ear, it was Corinna's. I ously made myself known to my ed wife, and besought her forgivefor the sorrows I had occasioned

I had the happiness to find that gion had enabled her to conquer e wild emotions which at first deyed her peace. Severely did she me herself for the misplaced generowhich induced her to leave me; I learned the means by which she I discovered my perfidy. My geous Corinna would not allow of my accusations. Heaven (said she), its own proper time, rewards and nishes its creatures; we have both en wrong, we have both from difent causes suffered; let us then acpt with joy the dawn of peace which -ovidence has blessed us with, as an ruest of its pardon.'

"From that time to the present, I ave every day been easier in my mind. ur order is one of those few that are seful; and in works of mercy to my.

5.4

fellow creatures, in the duties of religion, I have found that solid peace which sensual enjoyments can never bestow."

The friar ceased, and Alberto thanked him for his tale. His stay had already exceeded the time he proposed to devote to the good father, who, though he acknowledged the propriety of his going, yet parted from him with regret; he charged him with a benediction to Valeria, and he bade him adieu with the warmest wishes and prayers for his future happiness.

CHAP. XIII.

HEN Alberto 'reached the demesnes D'Rosonio, he found, on enquiring ongst the domestics at the castle, at the woman who had nursed the pposed Isabel was still alive, and reled in a cottage at no great distance. Iberto soon reached it, and found her one: he complained of fatigue, and arcella, with rustic courtesy, brought at such refreshments as her cottage fforded, and begged the signor to rest nd partake of them.

"I find (said Sforza) that there as been, within the last twelve years,

strange changes at the castle D'Rosonio."

"Ah! strange indeed, signor (cried Marcella), I did hope that the Lady Isabel would have supplied to the vassals the place of her good father, but Heaven was pleased to take the cherub. to itself."

"Have you lived here long?" (asked Alberto).

"From my birth, signor (replied she). Ah! I shall never forget the time the countess died. How grieved the count was, and the little Isabel was sent to my poor cottage to nurse, because the sight of her reminded him so strongly of her mother."

"You were then the nurse of the count's heiress?" (said Sforza.)

"Yes, signor (said she), and had the Lady Isabel but lived, Marcella would not have been the inhabitant of this poor place. But thank the saints, I am content."

"What, though you have been