lential spirit reside there: no infectious air: let all the snares of the hidden enemy fly away: and may whatever move the safety or repose of the inhabitants of that place be put to flight by the sprinkling of this water, that the welfare which we seek by the invocation of thy holy name, may be defended from all sorts of assaults. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, &c. Amen.'

"Then the Priest mingles the salt with the water, saying, May this salt and this water, be mingled together, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy † Ghost. Amen.'

The Lord be with you.'
And with thy spirit.'

Let us pray.'

"O God, the author of invincible power, king of an empire that cannot be overcome, and for ever magnificently triumphant; who restrainest the forces of the adversary, who defeated the fury of the roaring enemy, who mightily conquerest his malicious wiles: we pray and beseech thee, O Lord, with dread and humility, to regard with a favourable countenance this creature of salt and water, to enlighten it with thy bounty, and to sanctify it with the dew of thy fatherly goodness; that wheresoever it shall be sprinkled, all infestation of the unclean spirit may depart, and all fear of the venomous serpent may be chased away, through the invocation of thy holy name; and that the presence of the Holy Ghost may be everywhere with us, who seek thy mercy, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.'

"The blessing being ended, the priest sprinkles himself and the people with this water, saying, Thou shalt sprinkle me, O Lord, with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed; thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow.' The whole psalm 'Miserere' is then said: Have mercy on me O God, according to thy great mercy!' &c. followed by the

'Gloria Patri,' and the repetition of the anthem, Thou shalt sprinkle.' Then returning to the altar he says,

V. O Lord show us thy mercy.'

A. And grant us thy salvation.'
V. O Lord hear my prayer.'

A. And let my cry come unto thee.'
V. The Lord be with you.'

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A. And with thy spirit.'

Let us pray.'

"Hear us, O Holy Lord, Almighty Father, everlasting God, and vouchsafe to send thy holy angel from heaven, to guard, cherish, protect, visit, and defend, all that dwell in this habitation. Amen.'" Just as our heroine finished reading the last prayer, Miss Leonard, who had retired, from weariness into a farther room with her young brother, joined them again, on hearing the Abate Zaccaria announced; but her grandmother stopped her pleasantries, and informed her, that she saw no absurdity, nor superstition, in blessing cattle, houses, fire, water, or anything used by man especially: and both she and Geraldine appealed to the Abate to authorize this belief, if it were with a view to remove from them the curse on all creation. The Abate, nodding assent to this remark of Geraldine, here observed," The religious policy of our Holy Church, is to induce its members to mix up, with every business and occupation of life, the remembrance of the end for which they and all creatures were formed. Hence the pious Catholic hails these ceremonies, these blessings and thanksgivings over creatures, as mementos of the goodness of the God who gave them as aids to that spirit of inward recollection, that he is constantly striving to keep up, and as lessons of the use for which they were designed; bearing in mind the words of St. Paul,

'For every creature is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.'"*

"Pray, Abate," cried Charles Leonard, "has the present Pope made many saints? Is he as fond of dubbing his knights spiritual, as our good king his knights temporal, God bless him ?”

"I have been told," said the Abate smiling, " that Protestants suppose us to believe, that the Pope can, by certain pious ceremonies, make a saint out of a sinner, and that the canonization of a saint is the act of sending him straight to heaven."

“And what does it mean?' said Mrs. Leonard. "The process of canonization," said the Abate, "is the collecting from witnesses, proofs of holiness of life, and miraculous gifts, sufficient to authorize the belief that God has wrought the perfect sanctity of his servant, and received him into glory. It has caused the admiration and surprise of many learned Protestants, to witness the caution and rigour, with which these testimonies are examined. But that which, after the most laborious and rigorous examination, with continual prayer for the light of the Holy Spirit, is pronounced on by the Church tardily, and at long intervals, is decided at once with careless benevolence in the Protestant community. All who are not flagrant sinners go straight to heaven, all enter immediately into glory, all therefore are

saints."

After this day, our heroine had no prolonged discussions with any one during the gay season of the Carnival, and only some skirmishes occurred between herself and her Protestant friends, at the numerous parties given by the English residents. In these scenes Geraldine was for awhile amused, but her former uneasiness again stole over her, although

* 1 Tim. 4, 5.

Eshe would not own to herself that she had any cause for it, beyond her own too fondly engrossed affection for her father; till at length, a circumstance occurred by which it became evident to her, that he demanded a policy in her conduct which jarred against the open rectitude of her mind. In fact, General Carrington possessed that disposition which was the most calculated to mislead for awhile, and then deeply wound, the confiding, but inflexibly upright Geraldine. The grandeur of his speculations, the loftiness of his abstract decisions, the magnanimity of his theories, would make her heart expand with joy and gratitude, at the congeniality there existed between them; while the whispered confidential sentiments of timid policy-of expediency-of tricking a world that deserved no better-of flattering a fool that you might gain him—of keeping a friend as long as he was useful-and many other expressions which dropped from him at times when less on his guard, Geraldine received as a jest, or to raise some little amicable skirmish, in which he should prove her sentiments; and it was not until repeated proofs had been given her, that she opened her eyes to the want of moral courage, which had produced, as it ever must, a want of moral integrity, in the character of her father.

And who can describe the desolation of Geraldine's heart, when it was forced to yield to the stern conviction of her understanding-when, after shrinking from the truth, it forced its imperative waywhen she at length weighed his character in the balance, and it was found wanting! Some hours passed of blank unmingled anguish, apart from any thought of herself; but then arose the question of filial obedience for the future. "I cannot deceive, even for his sake; I cannot compromise the truth, but am I then destined to stand alone ?" thought she. "Is the beautiful, the feminine, the humble virtue of

obedience, which I have hitherto loved to exercise towards him, is that to be rendered a thing of doubt, of caution, of deliberate choice? Am I to be once more the independent Geraldine? Yes, be it so! for, after long metaphysical inquiries, we must all return to the simple rudiments of our faith,—a Catholic child is taught in its early catechism," to obey its parents in all that is not sin." Our primary duty is towards God-and God is truth.

That evening, Geraldine accompanied her father to a fete, given by the celebrated Italian banker, Torloni, where the company was almost entirely composed of English. Our heroine was pale and grave, but her father appeared to be entirely engrossed by the expected appointment, of which he had been long solicitous, to the Islands. He read aloud, while in the carriage, part of a letter from his friend Sir just received, through the English Ambassador's bag, giving all but a final answer, and added, as they ascended the staircase of the Conte Torloni's brilliantly illuminated palazzo, "Geraldine, you will see several of the English military to-night, and amongst them, General Sir Thomas Oskway, who is spoken of for this very appointment; remember, not a word about religion: let them continue to think me the same General Carrington they knew in Spain, which in truth I am ;—a man is not bound to be the public crier of his private opinions. Do you hear me, Geraldine?"

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"I do, papa," replied she. But she was not required to make any comment on what she heard, for they were now greeted in the first saloon of reception by the kind Contessa, who had taken care to arrive early; and the General, after many grateful acknowledgments, left his daughter to her charge.

This was the last party our heroine was compelled to attend; and from this time, till the season of