Darknefs and Light. 113

otherwife might have done. There was a filence
of fome minutes: at laft, “ Mamma,” faid Ro-
derick gravely, “ a light has broken in upon me
to-day.”

Lady Madeline ftarted, and with difficulty fup-
preffed a groan. Roderick felt the ftart: “‘ Oh
Mamma, Mamma,” cried he more cheerfully,
“* you muft not do that! I wafn’t thinking about
earthly light in the leaft, but of a light which I
know, when you come to hear of it, you will fay
is a great deal better.”

“ Indeed ! dear Roderick,” faid Lady Madeline,
trying to feem interefted.

“¢ Yes indeed, Mamma. Why, do you remem-
ber, (Zhad never thought about it till it came into
my head to-day ;) but do you remember the filly
time when I wouldn’t fetch you any thing from
the drawing room, unlefs there were candles in
the room?”

“ T recollect fomething about it,” faid his Mo-
ther.

“ Oh, I’m fo glad you do; becaufe now you
can laugh with me over the nonfenfe I uféd to
talk and feel then: I remember I ufed to tell you
I faw Bears when I fhut my eyes, and wouldn’t go
by the pipes in the paflage, and more fuch foolifh
{tuff ! How odd it feems that I fhould never have
thought about this before, but I never did, and it
never came into my head diftindlly till to-day.”
And here Roderick fell into a kind of dream for
a few minutes, but he foon began again. “ You

I

ee ee a ee eee