After All;

AFTER ALL ;

OE , THRICE WON . BY HENRY CALVERT APPLEBY , ' Son . Librarian of the Hull Literary Club , and Author of " A Queer Courtshi p , " " The Fatal Picture , " etc .,

CHATER XVI . Beauty and her Chivalry . —BYRON .

THE golden sun had sunk in glorious splendour , and a faint line of li ght now marked where the gorgeous hues which painted the fleecy clouds had departed , as the scintillating stars shone through the cerulean sky . Slowly the pale moon crept up the vault of heaven , casting long sharp shadows with its cold beams . A refreshing breeze played over the tired earth as the ni ght greiv on apace . Soonmidnight tolled out from the churches in discordant monotony ,

, while all else was hushed in slumber . No , not all else ; for wrapt in an ample cloak , and pacing with meditative , sad strides around the mournful nunnery , was the miserable Redtaper . Not much consolation to him that he was now out of bondage vile , for he Avas as far as ever from his beautiful idol , imprisoned someAvhere in the walls of the hateful convent . Silver gleamed the placid moon on its gaunt shape , stencilling the sharp outlines in brilliant

light . All was silent as the grave . Redtaper was wondering where they could have removed his darling , as he inconsolably walked to and from the neighbourhood of the nunnery . Bold projects for the future filled his heart , ancl he determined by some means or other the lovel y Violet Cumberland should be released from the detested thraldom of the Roman Catholics . Ononhe now hurried rapidlaAvayfrom

, , y the precincts of the horrid building , muttering curses against the blasphemous system existing within its walls . Wilder and wilder his thoughts grew as he excitedly anathematized indiscriminately the whole of the followers of Popedom .

Darkness sieze the ah !—perhaps not ! Perchance , but for these infernal fools I should never have known her love for me ; for she does love me ; no , no , not with the love of pity , but with true and tender passion . God bless her ! Ah , me !—Hey , what !" The latter exclamation , uttered in a startled tone , Avas caused by the sound of fire-bells from several quarters . At first it had been unnoticed by him , but

Avhen the first bell had been echoed by several others their real cause suddenly daAvned upon him . They were the brazen alarums of terror , the turbulent cymbals of fri ght , the clamourous tocsin of death . Louder ancl louder they screamed their distracting sounds into the startled ear of night , madly appealing , wildly expostulating wi th the deaf , unmerciful flames . In the distance Redtaper could now detect a lurid glare , ancl he at once made for the spot .

Horrors , it was in the direction of the convent ; possibly it was the convent itself now being devoured by the greedy element , and all that he held clear was m dreadful jeopardy . Frantically the bells now seemed to peal , swelling despairingly with clanging blast and clashing roar . Their palpitating din nearl y drove him mad . Irving ' s masterly Poe-like frenzy was mild in comparison to the tortures he felt . The air seemed filled with the fearful knelling ooom ; the skies rang again with the fulminating thunder of deafening twang-