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

la few months after his arrest Mr Al"er
iii'r Kalph were permitlc d to a-.M-t at his de;;'
uere calm; mill Adi lina. when she heard that
he haii Ifl day that followed her arrival at Ihe chateau,
could ilnilc the holy peace enjoyed by the departing
iic had solicited, in his name, from
Her, and to ihe reparation she had made in restoring liar-
iier father. 'My husband saiil it would bring a blessing
on his marked to Catherine: and the feeling of having
ited to make his end happy was a relief to her sorrows,
and took away the pang of the thought of her not being present
The soul of Sir Reginald's brother was the last that Father
Ralph won for his Heavenly Master, for shortly after, this faith-
ful servant was himself called to receive the reward of his la-
Having been found guilty of saying Mass and reconciling
persons to the Catholic Faith, he was sentenced and died, and his
.as added to the long list of martyrs who shed their blood
for religion during the reign of ICli/abeth.
Let us now return to Adelina, who on one of the brightest of
-orrowfully in her room; Catherine was with
her. Both had kept silence for some time; suddenly the young
girl let the work she was doing rest on her knees, and raised her
head to listen. A bird had just lighted on the branch of a tree
H !i window, and was pouring forth his joyous lay;
Catherine watched the little songster and lent a willing ear to
his sweet strains, until by an unguarded movement she put him
to flight. She then approached the window to see where the
bird had gone, and stopped to ga/.e on the landscape which the
return of spring had rendered so lovely.
'
'
O, my lady! she exclaimed, turning towards Adelina, 'it is
so beautiful out; would it not cheer you to descend to the garden?
I see Barbara there, at her old employment of training her
favorite' periwinkles, as when we lived with poor Mother
Bridget.'
'
Yes, child, I will go,' answered the lady, rising slowly from
her chair and following the other.
ome time they walked to and fro in the alley of lime-trees
near the house, and then seated themsejves in an arbor at the
aid, which was just coming into leaf. Here they were joined
by Sir Reginald and Mr. Algernon.
\Veil, Adelina, I am glad to see you out; and since we are
all together, 1 should like to speak of our future plans. Your
is better now; the weather is all that can be desired for
traveling: we have long trespassed on Sir Reginald's generous
hospitality. 1 therefore propose that we should start next week
for London; indeed, my own affairs, and the settlement of yours,
nt on us to reach home as speedily as possible.
You will lie ready, will you not, Adeline?'
'
Yes, father, I shall be ready whenever it pleases you to start.
And you, Catherine,' she added, turning towards her: 'you remember
that ere we left England it was agreed that if you
I you were to return with me. Not only shall I be happy
to take you, as I promised to do, but shall pray you to live en-
tirely with me. Yon have so consoled me in my recent afflictions,
that I cannot bear the thought of losing you; but I know
how attached yon are to my niece, so I can scarcely hope you
will consent to leave her. And yet,' added the lady sorrowfully,
xlif is young and happy, and stands less in need of a friend than
Ido.'
'
Catherine has already promised to stop with Barbara,' said
Sir Ke'dnald.
The young girl remained silent; she looked serious and somewhat
troubled, leaving tho:e around her in doubt whether she