ings, my lad. Come now, for the future | In that case, it would be useless trydon't let us have any more of this back- ing to reach Winkle before Hero had ing and filling, but a thorough under- started; so Leo determined to walk up standing that being sorry for one does to the Forts, and be back in time for her not mean that we're not glad for the return. He was not sorry to escape the other; and as for Hero-go to Winkle visit to Winkle; he wanted Hero, and and see her, tell her what you're come Hero alone, and was impatient for the for, and you'll see she won't be the one time of their meeting to arrive. to forget your old friendship, and while you're gone there Aunt Lydia will call at Combe, and have a chat with Mrs. Prescott; and then to-morrow you can go. By that time I dare say your friend Mrs. Labouchere will be back." For an instant Leo did not reply; then he' said "I should be certain to find Hero at Winkle?" "Certain left word with Jim to fetch her back this afternoon some time." that is, if you go soon. "I might go with him." "You might." I "Well, then, I'll give up going to Dockmouth until to-morrow. I really did not want to go there. And you can go to Combe, Aunt Lydia." "Yes, my dear. That's my own dear boy," she whispered, giving him a squeeze of the hand. And when, after some further conversation, the Captain took his departure, she continued to say, unheard by Leo "His heart is still in the right place, my dear friend." "Oh, yes, yes," said the captain, "he'll pull through all right, never fear." "And he says that this little tiff between our dear Hero and him was all his fault." "Ah!" said the Captain with considerable less heartiness. "Fancy, Lady Prescott!" But the Captain only shook his head as he walked away; for, viewed in light of a son-in-law, he found he less liking for Leo than ever. CHAPTER XXXVII. A PARTING. the had WHEN Leo reached Sharrows beach, he found that Jim had been gone for some time. "He'd a got a bit o' a job to Winkle," one of the men said, "or else he wouldn't ha' started so early." Leo hesitated, wondering whether he had best follow, or wait Hero's return. "The tide won't serve for coming back later than five, sir," said the man; "that made 'un so nimble in settin' off." There was one point from which he could catch sight of the boat as soon as she rounded Combe headland, and, having completed his survey of how the work, so soon to pass into other hands, was progressing, he took up his station to watch for her approach. Naturally his thoughts ran on the events of the last few days the unexpected turn his life had taken, as if Aladdin's lamp, or Fortunatus's wishing cap had been given to him. Well, at all events, now he ought to be contented. Still, he had fancied that he should have somehow felt different to what he did. This led him on to picture the surprise of his brother officers, and from thinking of them, he began to debate into which of the crack regiments he should exchange; and these reflections occupied him, until a sudden puff of wind roused him, and in another minute the boat he was watching for came in sight. It was clear enough for him to see the outline of its two occupants, Jim sitting crossways, so that he might give the attention which the sail, on account of the chopping wind, demanded, Hero bending forward, in order that the conversation in which they were indulging might be intelligible. "Once away from here, and she will be quite different," Leo thought, offering an excuse for the vexed feeling it always gave him to see Hero so familiar with the village people. "What the deuce she can find to talk about to an old canting psalm-singer like that I cannot imagine." Hoping to attract her attention, he took out his handkerchief, and waved it, but to no purpose. Hero was too engrossed to see the signal, and Leo, annoyed at her preoccupation, began to descend to the landing-place below. From the moment of starting Jim had been trying hard to engage Hero in conversation; but she was too much wrapt up in her own thoughts to give her old favourite his usual share of attention. It seemed to her, as if she should never recover from the bewildered state of surprise into which this wonderful news had thrown her. It was so improbable, so unlooked-for, that it was impossible to realize it as a fact. Sq long as people spoke of Leo she did not mind; but to hear them pitying Sir Stephen was unbearable. To know that he was in sorrow, and she not able to go to him, seemed the sharpest arrow that outrageous Fortune had yet aimed at her. While giving them the story, the Captain had entered minutely into the various details connected with the past week; and Hero's wounded love recovered, and grew doubly strong at hearing of Sir Stephen's frequent visits to Sharrows, his inquiries, and his anxiety to learn that she was getting stronger. 66 Oh, papa!" she exclaimed reproachfully, "why didn't you tell me this be fore?" All round my hat I wears a green willow." "Tom Grant and Giles, papa! but Sir Stephen is very different to boys, like they are." "All tarred with the same brush, my dear and your old father the greatest fool of all. However, I'll make it all square when I write." Upon Tom Joslyn's appointment Hero had consented to prolong her stay at Winkle for a few days longer; but she was most anxious now to be home again; | all her thoughts ran upon Sir Stephen's future movements, and the possibility of her being afforded an early opportunity of letting him know the real state of her heart. Suppose he did not return to Mallett, could she write to him, and, if so, what could she say? These perplexities completely absorbed her, and for some time rendered her blind to Jim's more than usual desire for conversation. "Miss Hero," he said, as they passed under Combe Point, "I reckon they'm glad enuf now that they've a got Combe. Iss," continued Jim, "better small fish than empty dish,' as the sayin' is. Do 'ee fancy Sir Stephen takes it much to heart? Hero nodded. "Ah," said Jim, with a sympathetic sigh, "but you must cheer un up, Miss Hero. Tell un 'bitter pills has blessed effects,' and he knows whose hand it is that smites un: "No, I know'd that. Some thought whether you would or no. Mother Tapson said her'd sclum un like a cat, if so. But, says I to myself, all 'll be made plain sailin' now. Miss Hero, I says, ain't the one to desert a sinkin' ship." Then, noticing that Hero's eyes had suddenly filled with tears, Jim discreetly concentrated his gaze upon the sail, and premising that it meant to gibe, he gave vent to a whistle. Puff came the wind, round the last point went the little boat, within sight of the beach, on which Leo stood waiting to help Hero out. At sight of him Hero's face changed, and Jim, seeing the cause of its altered expression, asked, "Shall I tack out again, Miss Hero?" "Oh no; we'll land there, Jim." Jim got the oar out in readiness; then he said, in a perplexed tone, - "I s'pose we ain't to begin calling un to once, sir anythink? 'Tull sound for all the world like gummucksin' of un.” But Hero did not answer; she waited until they were close to the shore, and then, as the boat grated on the beach, she called out, "How do you do? I have just returned from Winkle." Leo stepped into the boat and took her hand, to steady her in jumping out. Hero noticed that he had not spoken, but she was too nervous herself to say anything more. Under pretence of speaking to Jim, she got a moment to steady herself, and then, with Leo at her side, she turned to walk towards the Sharrows Cliff. "You got my note?" Leo asked. "What, did not Betsey send it to you? I gave it to her yesterday. I thought your father would have been sure to take it." 66 Papa came straight on from Cargill, and I suppose Betsey forgot to give it to him; at all events, I have not had it." "Can you guess what it was about, | might want to marry you, and then you Hero?" and the tone sent the colour fly- would forget me.' ing into her cheeks. 66 Not in the least," she answered, in a low, firm voice. "You have heard of the good fortune which has fallen to my share?" asked Leo. "Yes." "Then you might have known to whom, in my joy, I should first turn. Hero, I know that we have had a misunderstanding; I know that you blamed me for having, through the world's rough teaching, a larger share of worldly wisdom than you can comprehend, and I fear you thought my refusal to let you share in the poverty, which was all I could then offer you, a want of love. It was anything but that-if possible, you have been ten thousand times dearer to me since I thought I tried to give you up. I can never tell you how wretched I felt -how tame, dull, uncongenial everything and every one seemed, while I was breaking my heart for your sake. Ask Aunt Lydia-she will tell you a little of what I have gone through. After that night I met you at the Thomsons', I couldn't sleep, I could not eat — I could do nothing. I know it would have been impossible to go on enduring it. I must have rushed off to you, and told you that I could not give you up." "Indeed! I wish that you had done so," Hero said. "You do?" "It would have spared us this." "Yes. But that very morning, as I was sitting thinking about it, the news came. Hero, only fancy, what we have longed for, and talked about, and sighed after, has come to pass-only it is a great deal more," he laughed; "for our imaginations never took us further than an old gentleman leaving a large fortune, and here is a fortune, an estate, and a title-no, I won't let you speak until you have told me that all you said on that horrid evening, when we stood almost in this very spot, meant nothing. I am sure that you love me, Hero. Love me well enough to forgive me the pain I have made you suffer; and when you have said so in words, then I will tell you everything about this wonderful discovery. Ah, how little we thought, when we used to argue and quarrel about Sir Stephen Prescott, that all he had, and all for which he was so thought of, belonged I only spoke against him because I was jealous of him. I fancied that he to me. Those words seemed to sting Hero, and to give her the key to all Leo's selfishness. Looking at him, she said bitterly "That is just what did take place, and what did not take place. He wished to marry me, and I did not forget you." 66 He wished to marry you? Why? did he ask you?" "He did, not knowing anything about you. He asked me while you were in Scotland." "And you refused him for my sake. Oh, Hero, what a noble girl you are! Why did you not tell me of this before? However, you have your reward, have you not, darling? It would only have been a sham before; but now, as soon as it is possible, you shall be the real Lady Prescott; and I know whose wife you would rather be. You have proved that to me. What a sneak the fellow is!" he added, as certain passages between them occurred with unpleasant vividness to his mind. "Leo," Hero said, "it is necessary that I should speak plainly to you. Í thank you for the honour you have meant to offer to me, but I must decline it." "What do you mean?" "Just what I say I must decline to accept the honour of being Lady Prescott." "Hero!" his voice was hard and stern; "this is no time for standing on your dignity. I have acknowledged my fault as completely as any woman could desire. I expect to leave this place to-morrow, and except for you I shall never put foot in it again. You tell me that on my account you refused a man whom you, like every one else then, supposed to be a baronet. I now offer you the same advantages, you must feel from no other reason than because I love you. Why, then, do you say you must decline to be my wife?" 66 Simply because I do not love you." "Do not love me? and yet, for my sake, a couple of months since you could say no to what must have seemed like a kingdom to you. Your words and actions are paradoxical." "Perhaps so. I do not ask or expect you to understand what I did; but I do wish you to feel that, if we are to remain friends, there must be no word of love mentioned again between us; and she turned as if she would walk on. But Leo caught her by the hand "No!" he exclaimed, "you shall not' move from this spot until you tell me what you mean. I am not one to be taken up and thrown aside at pleasure; befooled one moment by being told of your great love, and flung off the next with your high and mighty graces. What am I to believe?" "That which in your own heart you know to be true," Hero said, her face flushed with excitement. "I gave you my girl love and trust; I believed in you; and I was ready to sacrifice anything for your sake; while you - failed me in my hour of need, and were ready to give me up to secure what in your eyes was of more value. I know," she added, "that you are much more clever in argument than I am, Leo, so we need not waste words in proving or disproving that which I am certain you feel is the truth. It is best," she said, holding out her hand, "that we should part. Our paths will be widely divided, and we may never meet again. Let us try, therefore, to forget all which makes us feel bitter towards one another, and when you remember Mallett and I know you will sometimes go back to old days-think kindly of me, Leo, as I shall of you Good-by." "Good-by!" he echoed, looking at her; "good-by to you, Hero! Oh, you don't, you cannot mean to be so cruel. What is all this to me if you do not share it with me?" and in truth at that moment his new possessions seemed utterly valueless to him. "You did not want me to share your poverty, Leo," Hero could not help saying. 66 out. Because I hate poverty," he burst "Its shifts and straits are abominable to me. They so try my temper and disposition, that it made me doubt whether even my love for you would stand it; seeing to what I was born, what wonder if it jarred against me? But now I have all I want, I cannot do without you. Hero, you are necessary to me. Every minute seems to make you grow dearer, and surely it is seldom that a man is reproached for the love he tried to curb in his adversity, but gloried in, and fed upon, the moment fortune looked kindly on him." "I am very sorry, Leo," Hero said, with a saddened expression on her face. "You will find many who will love you dearly and truly, but I could never love you again." "No, no," he groaned, "don't say that. I will try so hard that I must win it back. I will wait, oh! so patiently for it. Hero, say you will try. If we were married, it would come then." "Never," she sobbed; "it will never come back. I know it will not, because I like you better than I ever did; but I do not love you in the least." "Because you will not try," he said, passionately. "Hero, think of what we were to each other. You never seemed to care for anything but me. Why, see, you gave up a rich man like Stephen Prescott for me, comparatively a beggar." "I did," she said slowly, "and now that you are rich and he is the beggar, for his sake I refuse you." Leo felt as if a sudden blow had been dealt him. "You are going to marry him?" he gasped out. "No. I told him that I loved you, and knowing no more, he will think that I love you still." Leo turned away, hiding his face in the grassy slope behind them. Had Stephen Prescott thought of him as he now thought of himself? for in the great anguish of feeling that Hero was gone from him forever, he judged himself very harshly. "Had I but been true, but been true." In days which were to come he found many an excuse for his worldly wisdom, but not then. In proportion to the tumult of excited joy which had filled him was his despair and self-reproach. Hero's voice recalled him to the present moment. “I am afraid that papa or Betsey may have seen the boat," she said, "and if so, they might come down wondering what had become of me." Leo made no further attempt at remon strance. He took both her hands in his, and stood looking at her with eyes full of a sorrow that seemed then to rob his future of all light. "Good-by, Leo, we have both something to forgive. Forgive me, Leo;" and here the tears which had stood in her eyes burst forth unchecked, "as I forgive you; and God bless you and make you very happy.” All at once But Leo made no answer. he seemed choking; then a great sob came, which forced him to let go Hero's hands and cover his face from her view, and when, his passion spent, some minutes later he raised his head, he found himself alone. as From The Saturday Review. THE BISHOP OF WINCHESTER AND LORD WESTBURY. he defeated his former ally and principal by passing the Divorce Bill. On the Bench he maintained and increased the THE numerous biographical notices of fame which he had acquired at the Bar. the Bishop of Winchester and of Lord Asserting with unusual boldness his inWestbury which have been published dependence of precedents, he interpreted during the present week are generally the principles of law with a vigorous saaccurate and just, and the speeches in gacity which commanded general assent; the House of Lords and in Convocation but the same cynical and contemptuous were appropriate and graceful. Al- demeanor which had alienated the regard though, in consequence of personal and of his former competitors still continued political collisions, they regarded one to cause just offence to his colleagues another with extreme asperity, their and to the practitioners in his Court. characters had much in common. Lord Lord Cairns agreed with the Lord ChanWestbury was as witty and as sarcastic cellor in the opinion that Lord Westbury the Bishop of Winchester, and he was really kind-hearted and good-napossessed the same habitual confidence tured; but a certain moral obtuseness, in himself; but he had neither the pleas- which afterwards contributed to his fall, ant temper nor the grace of manner repelled the affection and respect which which might have ensured forgiveness to ought to attend brilliant and merited suchis superiority. If Dr. Wilberforce had cess. When he had ceased to be an obadopted the profession of the law, he ject of envy, the same defects of characmight have attained the success of Ers- ter tended in some degree to disarm rekine and of Scarlett; but in scientific sentment and censure. It was felt that, precision of reasoning he could never if Lord Westbury had not been faultless, have competed with Lord Westbury. he had also made no pharisaic pretenLord Wensleydale was in the habit of sions to extraordinary virtue. Even his saying that during his long experience Sir Richard Bethell was the greatest advocate whom he had known; but the logical application of legal principles to facts which satisfied the understanding of a judge might perhaps not have been equally effective with a popular tribunal. It is universally admitted that no greater lawyer has been known in the memory of the present generation. By sheer force of intellect Mr. Bethell at an early age forced his way to the front rank of the Bar; and when he attained the woolsack, he might boast that during his whole career he had owed nothing to favour or to friendship. Like many other lawyers who have found it expedient to enter public life, he was almost indifferent to political doctrines. When he failed as a Conservative candidate he became for the rest of his life a Liberal, probably without having either experienced any change of opinion, or having been guilty in his adherence to either party of conscious insincerity. In the House of Commons his legal ability and reputation commanded deference; and the qualities which had raised him to the head of his profession were conspicuously displayed in the conduct of discussions which involved a legal element. In 1853 he gave powerful assistance to Mr. Gladstone in the debates on the Succession Duty; and at a later period, in a long conflict of subtlety and pertinacity, .celebrated announcement that he owed his success in life to his practice of Christian doctrines was justly regarded as an outbreak of unconscious humour. The numerous anecdotes, authentic and apocryphal, of which he was in his later years the hero, indicated a certain Epicurean laxity which was relieved or adorned by unfailing intellectual acuteness and promptitude. In a world of commonplace, inexhaustible vigour and ready wit command sympathy, and even admiration. The Bishop of Winchester occupied a larger place in political and social life than his occasional and formidable adversary. Not less witty than Lord Westbury, he was also a genial humourist, and his wit was almost as often playful as satirical. His musical voice and his kindly manner exercised an irresistible attraction, while they added to the pungent effect of his frequent sarcasms. He was one of the many instances of the transmission of eminence from father to son. Like the first Pitt, the first Fox, the first Grenville, the first Grey, and the first Canning, the celebrated Wilberforce left a son who maintained for a second generation the distinction of his name. In the House of Lords, as elsewhere, his eulogists have apparently been surprised at the difficulty which they found in defining the exact nature of his claims to admiration. He was not a great scholar, nor |