find no rest. Sleep held out no hope of visiting him that night. It was not the lonely room with its Gothic windows through which the moonlight streamed and threw mysterious figures on the wall; it was not the great dingy bed with its hearse-like plumes and hangings; it was not the stillness and the loneliness that kept him awake, tossing from side to side, with ringing noises in his ears and fever in his limbs. It was the heavy burden of an evil conscience, whose measure of iniquity seemed just filled up. All the crimes of his past life seemed to be reviving in memory for a general review. His step-daughter, removed out of the way to secure possession of a trifling sum of money; poor father Ambrose falsely accused and brought to his death, that his whispered suspicions might be silenced; and, above all, his wife cruelly treated, and hastened to an early grave by his selfishness,-all seemed to be haunting his mind at night. Ha! what was that ? a female form in white, led by a man of strong hand and heavy tread. Again! there could be no mistake now; he had been thinking of her just before. It was the spirit of poor Annie, with that of her assassinator, come to trouble him. He was paralysed with terror. He could not cry out; could not stir hand nor foot, for some minutes; but the perspiration streamed from his throbbing temples, and the bed shook with his trembling. Recovering his voice, he uttered a cry of terror and sprang from the bed, keeping his eyes fixed on the door through which the supposed apparitions had vanished. Just then the opposite door opened and there entered, with wonder and displeasure in his looks, the chaplain of the castle.

"What means all this, my son ? art thou demented? If a dagger had been at thy throat thou couldest not have uttered a more fearful cry. Speak, what have you seen or what do you expect ?"

"O, father! if you are indeed what your dress betokens, and not the evil one disguised, help me, save me. Did you meet any one? hear any one? There! through this door they went, a young girl in white, a man dark.”

"White!" answered the clergyman in a solemn whisper, "that is like the spirits from Hades: dark! that is like the evil one, of whom thou didst make mention. But why, my son, shouldest thou thus fear a visitant from Hades, unless thou hast sent some thither before their time, or permitted them to depart unforgiven and unrighted? And why shouldest thou fear the evil one, unless thou hast given thyself to him to do his works ?" "Indeed, reverend father," eagerly interrupted the wretched man, in whose face was still depicted intense horror and agony; "indeed hand did not take away her life. I never shed blood. He did it, who appeared with her. He promised to do it."

my

"Alas! my son," pitifully rejoined the chaplain, who knew all his crimes, "there is murder often committed without shedding of blood. Come, thou hast had a message from that eternal world of realities where, in bliss or woe, we shall each one find a home ere long. Thy conscience is burdened with secret crimes-nay, provoke not the thunderbolt of God's wrath by denial. Rather confess all, my son, and pray forgiveness of Him Who never yet refused it to the true penitent."

"I do confess,-I will tell all: but O-O save me, save me! look there! It is she! my wife's daughter. They said she was dead."

It was Annie who had again, without Swayne, presented her white form at the door. Madness seemed at this fully to overmaster the wretched Grimman's brain. With a loud scream of horror and rage he suddenly broke away from the chaplain's feeble hold, and sprang towards the door whence Annie had just retreated. There were

winding stairs leading to the prisoner's cells beneath, and in some places broken and worn. Down these at

once he rushed, heedless alike how or whither he was going. Suddenly a crash was heard as of something having fallen, then a few groans of agony; and, on hastening to the spot, they found the shattered body of Grimman quite dead at the door of the cell, where father Ambrose had suffered and died!

*

*

Annie did not return

And here my story must end. to Clairton, but was put under the guardianship of the Lord Warden of Beaulieu, until she came of age to enter upon her property. Walter also, not long after, was taken into the abbey service, and subsequently became my lord's confidential page. I need not say how happy he was to be so near his old playmate and friend Annie. But I cannot say whether or to what degree this childish friendship "grew with their growth and strengthened with their strength." It may be that older records of Beaulieu will afford information sufficient to tell you another story about them. Swayne proved a brave soldier and a faithful servant, and, moreover, a consistent Christian to the last. "The red-handed men" were never heard of after their encounter with the government ship, when Swayne escaped. I need not say Grimman betrayed them.

The Editor's Desk.

THOSE who take an interest (and who does not ?) in the colony of Pitcairn's Island, will be glad to read the following Letter from the Chaplain, the Rev. G. H. Nobbs, who, it will be remembered, was ordained last year by the Lord Bishop of London, and who has laboured so long in the island:

"Pitcairn's Island, July 21, 1853.

"It has pleased our Heavenly FATHER to permit me to return in safety to my island-home, and to a happy meeting with my family. I arrived here in H.M.S. 'Portland' on the 15th of May, bringing with me my son and daughter. Admiral Moresby has continued to the last an untiring benefactor, to myself in particular, and the islanders in general. We landed on the Sabbath, and after the evening service I read from the pulpit my ordination letters and licence as Chaplain of Pitcairn's Island, granted me by my honoured patron, the Lord Bishop of London. The Portland' remained off the island four days, and then left us for the Gambier Islands. The next day after her departure the influenza made its appearance, and as there were two or three persons on board the 'Portland' who were affected with bronchitis, I am inclined to think the germs of the disease were derived from them. Unfortunately the wind was from the north-west, and the atmosphere was very dense and heated, which acted as fuel to the contagion; and so rapid was its progress, that in one week there were not ten persons capable of attending to their own wants. It was the most severe attack since 1840 (the date of its first appearance among us). After an absence of nine days the Portland' returned, and the people on board her, observing a flag flying on the shore, supposed it to be an intimation that the surf was too heavy to admit of boats landing; and the vessel was in the very act of sailing away, when they providentially observed our boat coming off. On their making known to the Admiral our sad condition, he humanely lay by all night (it being very late when our boat got on board), and in the morning sent Captain Chads and his secretary with one of the ship's surgeons to our assistance. As my small stock of tea and sugar was almost exhausted by imparting to those that had none, the Admiral sent on shore a good supply, and the officers also contributed biscuits and other necessaries. I attribute the severity with which the disease was felt to the debilitated state of the community, owing to the scarcity of food which prevailed for some months prior to my arrival, when they had been reduced to great straits in consequence of the want of rain, which had prevented their planting

their usual crop of sweet potatoes. It was for some weeks almost actual starvation; their only resource being half-grown pumpkins. Myself and my son and daughter, who came with me, escaped the epidemic, and the rest of the community have nearly recovered. No deaths have occurred; so that we are able to sing of mercy and judgment.

"I have administered the Holy Sacrament once since my return, and design (D.V.) to do so monthly. We have about seventy-five communicants. The number of inhabitants amounts to one hundred and seventy-two; eighty-five males, and eightyseven females. I should be very thankful for some copies of some small work upon the Holy Communion: from not having been in a capacity to administer it hitherto, I feel that my flock have not had so much instruction from me on this very momentous subject as they ought to have had."

At home the Lenten services have, we believe, been attended with great success. The times of divine worship have been increased; a greater number of sermons preached, and during Holy Week daily in country parishes, with, we know in some cases, the best possible results. We should much like to present our readers with a detailed account, and shall be glad, if our clerical friends will furnish us with the number of services they have had, and with what fruit. We wish this with more especial reference to rural and agricultural districts, which present more difficulties than a town population.

The Lord Bishop of Oxford consecrated the new Church at Sandhurst, on Thursday the 6th of April, when about forty clergy attended. The Reading Mercury in its account informs us that :

"The situation on the sloping side of the churchyard, with a flight of steps up to the entrance doorway in the tower, protected above by a roof filling in the space between the buttresses, making a kind of porch, is very advantageous to the effect of the building. The whole of the new work has been carried out in such a style as to harmonize with the remains.