Fabiola : or, The church of the catacombs - Digital Repository Services

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but Edwin, although quite convinced and anxion
ill held li;ick. The cold, stem face for ever rose np l>e-
nii, imd he, shrank with fear mid trembling from the conflict
with it, :uid let us not dare to censure, him. I jet not us
:iro in the full light of God Almighty's Church, and
strengthened by His holy and special graces, dare to blame tho
and foarful ', boy who hesitated, and trembled, and held
back, when he thought of all that would probably come upon
him when he should have taken the dreaded step. His fn.l IKT'H
fearful rage his own utter dependence upon him, and his
probable expulsion from his home, the wrenching asunder of
all old tics, the utter chasm between himself and all that had
hat must follow ; in a word, the probable poverty, desoliilion,
and misery all, all rushed upon him, and what wonder
self degraded by his son's forsaking his religion, and embracing
one which gentlemen of Mr. Stanhope's class always identify
with " those low Irish" when he considered, too, all the projects
which that gentleman had formed for his sou, and how
much, in spite of his cold, stem nature, he was bound up in
his hoy, he trembled for the consequences, doubtful, as it was,
whether the pride or the affection of Mi'. Stanhope would gain
the mastery, and fearing very much that his pride would gain
'
tho day.
Father Eustace still exhorted, and Edwin still hesitated,
when an accident brought about the so much desired, but so
Steaded explanation. Edwin inadvertently one day left exposed
upon his table a book on the Catholic Church, belonging to
Father Eustace, with that gentleman's name on the title page.
On returning to his room he was much alarmed to find that it
was gone, and finding, on inquiry, that neither his sister nor
auy of the servants had removed it, he came to the conclusion
is father had entered the room in his absence, had found
11 it -book upon his table, and had taken it away. The belief
was confirmed by the conduct of his father when they met as
usual at dinner. Mr. Stanhope scarcely spoke during the meal,
but Edwin, without daring to look at his father, felt that his
eyes were continually fixed upon him in a sad and very painful
manner, and he heard him sigh deeply several times. As soon
as dinner was over, Mr. Stanhope retired at once to his private
bling boy in the adjoining room :
place your will in opposition to mine, or I will crush you ;
crush you even to the dust, were you ten times dearer to me
< iti are crush ; you, though my own heart wither and
perish with you. Crush ! crush 1 crush !"
For four long hours Edwin listened to the pacing of that foot
with its never-varying tale of pride, and :
power, and will. Maria
i vain to soothe him. He kissed her when she came and
.verhim; but he put her gently away, and turned to
; i ion of his own Bad thoughts. When she begged
;1 her what was wrong between him rpa,
TllK T \VO VICTORIES. 11
he could only answer that she would soon know all now, and
beg
of Ji'T never lo [