what's to become of the child? The bed'll never hould us all, even if I eked it out wid the stall." "What's that you're saying, Norry?" asked the first speaker. "Is it a lodger you want to stow away? I've plenty of room, since the Sillivans got into that little thrubble, and " "I don't think your place would altogether shute, Mrs. Carty," answered Norry significantly. "The child's a 'Gracian,' and not used to it; besides The "Oh, the Sheehans lodge wid me now, and I don't do much business; I've airned nothink to spake of lately. clargy said so much about it, the people won't have the cards at all, and the cup don't pay to signify.' "The Sheehans lodge wid you, do they?" inquired Norry, disregarding the latter portion of Mrs. Carty's address; "well, there's room enough, ony how. I wish Jim had bided a while longer in the house, and Mary'd jist have an eye afther her. How many lodgers have you now, Mrs. Carty?" 66 Why, barring the Sheehans, there's ownly the Flannaghans, ould Biddy Sarchfield, and thim two boys of Burkes, and Sillivan's girl, that runned away about the dance, and blind Murphy and his grandson, and one Daly,—that's all; and we've two rooms, and praps the Sheehans 'll let her bide with thim, for Mary's nice about who I put in the impty bed." "Where did Daly come from?" exclaimed Mrs. Casey, who possessed Eve's failing in a supereminent degree. 66 He's a young fellow not long over. I think he comes from Roscrea: none on us knows him. He's bin married, but his wife died of the fever; so I suppose he's cum over to look for another;" and the old woman fixed her little ferret eyes on Kattie. "Better stayed at home, if that's all he cum'd for," growled Norry. "Well, I wish my stoopid Jim had stayed where he was; what'll I do wid the likes of him here? Well, God bless you, child! May his blessed Mother and all the Saints guard your bed this night! Put your beads under your head, ony how," she added in a whisper, "an I don't think much harm'll cum on it." So saying, old Norry shook hands heartily with the bewildered Kattie, and followed her companion with a glance in which ill-will and fear were strangely mingled. "The ould witch! But what could I do? She knows more than's seemly for us poor sinners. Didn't she mak the key turn in the Bible whin the suv'rin was lost, and Meg Sillivan neglicted the dooty iver since, for why she tuk to havin her fortin tould. Well, He sees all things-glory to his name!" And crossing herself reverentially, Mrs. Casey, once more gathering together her property, cautiously commenced her descent to her cellar. 116 THE FUGITIVE. AN HISTORICAL SKETCH. (Concluded from p. 55.) WE left the fugitive, Simon Platzer, explaining to his friend Anthony the nature and progress of the struggle going on between the King of Bavaria and the Church, and recounting the efforts made by the king to usurp the spiritual, under the guise of a temporal authority. "Last year," said Platzer, "about this time, Emmanuel, the Bishop of Trent, was summoned to Innspruck; and a fortnight later our Bishop, Karl Rudolph, who was not then at Coire, but at Méran. The Commissary-General, Count A-, immediately paid each of them a most friendly visit, and shewed them every attention; but this courtesy was only assumed in order to induce them to obey the King's commands." "Forgive me for interrupting you so soon again, but why was not the Bishop of Brixen summoned too?" "That is not exactly known; but it is imagined that because the canon, who managed matters there, was inclined to be more compliant towards the government than he ought to have been, the government wished to treat the Bishop himself with more courtesy, although this latter distinctly opposes every thing unecclesiastical and unlawful. Some say that the government hastened to assume the appearance of victory, by making the most of some insignificant concessions, in order to place in a stronger light the obstinacy of the other Bishops. They themselves seem to have suspected something of the sort, for they invited their brother-bishop to join them in their resistance; but Franz Karl was confined to a sick-bed, and the Brixenites, glad of an excuse for neutrality, did not send a substitute." "And how did matters go on with the two Bishops?" "The Commissary-General adopted different methods with each. Knowing Emmanuel's gentleness of disposition, he painted in the most fearful colours the sad consequences of a continuation of the contest, and asked him if he could expect his majesty to give way. A subject might surely sacrifice his private opinion to his monarch, who would then bear all the responsibility; but if the consciences of many were made uneasy, pastors disunited, and parishes distracted, by a continuance of these dissensions, the enormous weight of blame would fall upon those who fostered them. Emmanuel listened with deep emotion; but under a gentle exterior he concealed great firm ness of character. In reply, he read to the Count the Papal brief, and asked, Whom shall I obey in matters that concern the Church-the King or the Pope? The commands that I must regard as lamentable innovations, or the laws that are as old as the Church itself, and that I have bound myself by oath to obey? Can there be a doubt on the subject? Say yourself, Herr Count, for you, as much as myself, would wish to act uprightly and honourably,-what would you do in my place?" So saying, he took the Count's hands, and gazed mildly and inquiringly at him. The latter could not entirely repress his emotion; and it was only after a long silence that he could escape from his embarrassment by observing, 'That many learned priests had openly expressed their opinion that the royal requisitions did not in any way touch the essential part of the Church.' When Emmanuel would prove to him the contrary, he excused himself by saying that he was no theologian, and must therefore refuse to enter into the mazes of that science. The parting was somewhat more reserved than the meeting, but still courteous. The Count repeated his visits, and each time brought to the argument fresh weapons, drawn from the armoury of modern enlightenment. But all his shots rebounded harmless from the adamant shield of the Church's truth." "Doubtless he came no better off from our Bishop." "There he tried another mode of attack. Although even with him he by no means omitted all possible marks of deference, yet in dealing with so open and powerful an opponent he thought it necessary to express himself in a more emphatic manner. He said, 'Karl Rudolph was a foreign bishop; it was only his high personal merits that had caused, and at first justified, the unusual toleration extended to him in the exercise of his pastoral authority over a part of the Bavarian dominions. But if the Bishop of Coire intended to abide by the principles on which he had hitherto acted, it was his, the Count's, painful duty to say, that there could be no doubt what measures the government would be forced to adopt.'. The conclusion of the statesman's speech was accompanied with an expressive look of warning. Karl Rudolph met it with undisturbed calmness; a faint smile played upon his venerable features; he replied with composure, So you want to frighten me into the performance of my duty, as they do children!' A burning glow mantled the cheeks of the Count. The other continued more gravely, 'I cannot obey the commands of the King, because they are contrary to those of God. If his majesty obtains from the Head of the Church my canonical removal from the Tyrolese part of my diocese, I should gladly accede to the mere wish of the Holy Father.' The Commissary-General, somewhat confounded by the dignity of this reply, entreated the Bishop, in flattering terms, not to confound what might seem harsh in his, the Count's, performance of his official functions, with his own personal feelings towards him; then, with renewed expressions of esteem, he proceeded to explain, that the removal of so highly gifted a prelate would be so much the more to be lamented for the sake of religion, as it must prove without object; for his majesty's decrees were to be looked upon as unalterable, and it would be better for the diocese that they should be carried out under the superintendence of an old and beloved pastor, than under that of one who had been forced upon them. Karl Rudolph answered, 'It is no question of my withdrawal, until the Holy Father himself commands it. No other power on earth can force me to give up my diocese, because no other has the right to do it." " "That was indeed a bishop-like answer," cried Anthony, interrupting him. Platzer continued: "The Commissary-General swallowed the distastefulness of the reply without moving a muscle, and said, 'that he observed with pleasure this cheerful refusal to contemplate even the possibility of so painful an event; the clouds would, he hoped, disperse without the threatened storm; with the good feeling of his majesty, and the noble heart of the worthy Bishop, a really inimical course was not to be feared; it had been in order to set right the few misunderstandings that existed between them, that the royal government had requested the favour of his lordship's presence; but to attain this desirable end as soon as possible, he must beg permission, as he himself was no divine, to propose as a substitute for himself, in the necessary conferences, the worthy Government Counsellor and Professor of Canon Law, the Rev. Herr B-.' Karl Rudolph expressed himself satisfied with this arrangement. The conversation then turned upon indifferent topics, the fine autumnal weather, the grand and beautiful environs of Innspruck; and they took leave of each other as if after an ordinary visit of courtesy." "The Count seemed more afraid of the Bishops than the Bishops of him," remarked Anthony; "but I suspect the Professor will be a worse person to deal with." "On the following day, the threatened antagonist was announced. The Bishop had seen him out walking the evening before; a tall figure in a blue frock, with yellow nankeen pantaloons. But now he entered in full dress of black, wearing his doctor's silk gown, with a Bavarian order upon his breast, in his hand the two-cornered hat of office with gold tassels. Karl Rudolph approached him with dignity, and greeted him with these emphatic words: 'You, then, are he who undertakes to instruct Pope and Bishops in canon law?" The Professor was disconcerted, but quickly recovered himself, and replied, My lord, it is truth that gives to learning its pre-eminence. If, in the course of candid examination, I have arrived at certain conclusions which do not coincide with individual prac tices in the Church, I should regret it sincerely; but I could not alter my view of the subject, unless I became convinced that another was better; for our thoughts are not under our own control. Meanwhile, I am commissioned by the Royal Commissary-General to offer my services in explaining the policy of the government.' "The policy of the government,' answered the Bishop, 'can be no mystery to me, who have had so much experience of it. But you are expected to justify to me what must also be justified to the whole world. Are you really willing to undertake the task?' "Yes; I declare frankly, that both as a Christian and as a subject, I approve of and respect the King's measures. It is true that they must not be judged of by the usages of the past, but by the wants of the present, and the law of reason. The successors of the Apostles have too long forgotten those important words, 'My kingdom is not of this world.' To the maxim of the suffering, they prefer that of the glorified Redeemer: All power is given to Me in heaven and on earth.' Those calling themselves religious and ecclesiastics have heaped up for themselves the possessions of whole families, revelled in superfluity, lived in splendour, taken part in all worldly affairs, claimed all possible privileges, kept the people in leading-strings, and made themselves first the guardians, then the masters, of kings and emperors. So monstrous an anomaly could not last. The dawn of enlightenment pierced through the darkness of the times. The princes awoke, broke their ignominious chains, asserted their rights, and opened the way to a new era, when Church and State shall free themselves from their unholy alliance, each to attain its natural development, and each, according to divine appointment, to labour in its own sphere for the welfare of mankind. It is to this that the events of the times are tending: who will, who may, who can, throw himself into the stream, in the vain hope of curbing its course? Who would not rather joyfully, and full of prophetic hope, follow its resistless flow?' "When he had finished, the Bishop took up the word. 'Even Popes and Bishops,' said he, are frail men. Were 6 no failings and abuses to be found among the clergy, it would |