"It was a cold starlight night, and there was a good deal of snow on the ground, but it was crisp with the frost, and as hard as marble. Off went these young scamps, and it appears a lively ride they had, but not finding the hunters in the place they expected, and afraid to stay longer, they turned their steed's head, and prepared to return.

"They had not got far beyond the cross of St. Brice,-you know the place, Mademoiselle Loriot, where the little wood is between the two hills-when a change came over the bright sky, the stars became obscured, and the wind rose wildly, it moaned dismally, and the two boys began to feel the necessity of hastening their speed; but Ninine was not so used to such work, but that she was tired and refused to go faster. My Camille relieved her by getting off, and urged her forward with his voice, and by running beside her. All on a sudden she was seized with a fit of trembling, and stood stock still; a violent gust of wind swept by at the instant, and, louder than its roaring, the children distinguished another sound, which chilled their hearts with terror. It was unmistakably the baying of a wolf, and did not appear at any very great distance. Camille leaped on the back of Ninine, and, urging her to the utmost, the poor beast, as terrified as her cavaliers themselves, darted away with them like lightning over hill and dale, clearing the ground at a pace she had never attempted before-the voice of the pursuing wolf reaching the fugitives from time to time as they continued their headlong track.

"Meanwhile, my mother, who found herself considerably disturbed by the stories she had heard, was unable to rest, and being possessed with a doubt as to the state of mind of the young sleepers in the tower, got up, and, lighting her lantern, crept up the stairs to where the children lay. She listened for a few moments at the archway, but not hearing their breathing, she lifted her lantern, and, to her dismay, discovered that her fancy had not deceived her, the little wretches had disappeared!

"She proceeded next to peep out of the casement, which she found open, and seeing no trace of them, descending in a great passion at once to my room, and knocking loudly at my door, roused me to recount the conduct of my young truant.

"I was as angry as she was, and her words added not a little to my perturbation, for she suggested the possibility of their danger from the wolves. I dressed and seized my gun, without a word, and hurrying up to the terrace, I went straight to the shed where I usually put up Ninine, and, of course, was soon satisfied that she was the companion of the fugitives.

"The rain was now falling in torrents, and the wind roared frightfully amongst the ruins. I leapt over the stone fence, and went out into the plain ground. I called as loud as I could, and running, I scarcely knew whither, came to the house of a neighbour, who I found not yet gone to bed. I told him, hurriedly, what my quest was, and he was soon out and had joined me with his rifle.

"We were just about to descend the hill towards St. Radegond, when our ears were assailed at one and the same time by loud cries and the distant yellings of a wolf. We could not be mistaken -the hunters were out, and were probably pursuing the terror of the country. But where were my son and his companion? The thought was alarming. I fancied I recognised the voices of the

imprudent children as the cries approached, and presently I beheld a sight which it required all my nerve to sustain.

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There, sure enough, by the flashes of lightning, which lit up the white snow path far before me, I saw the two boys clinging to the back of the flying animal, now their only hope of escape, and, gaining upon them with terrific speed, came on a huge dark creature whose gaunt form was clearly defined against the lurid sky. I uttered a loud shout as the strange cortège darted by, almost close to where my neighbour and myself stood, and directly after, I saw Ninine stagger and fall, throwing one of her riders forward. The wolf gave a spring, and had seized the prostrate child, when a ball from each of our guns struck him at the same instant, and with a bound and a long hoarse howl of pain, the monster measured his length on the ground.

"Our cries and shouts had, by this time, roused some of the villagers in the valley, and we were soon surrounded by friends with torches, by the light of which I beheld my ill-conditioned Camille lying half crushed beneath the body of the dead wolf, and his young companion senseless at a few paces distant, while poor Ninine stood shaking and trembling in every limb, unable to move, and looking in no less pitiable plight than her masters.

"As you have seen the identical animal, stuffed by Merlin, I need not describe to you his enormous size-the huge bristly mane on his back, the strength of his limbs and his long sharp teeth. My son had a narrow escape, and paid well for his daring; but still, if it had not been for him we should not have rid the country of its scourge, so I did not punish him very severely, and both boys got off with a lecture, and are learning better habits, it is to be hoped, now at College. Ninine, you see, weathered the storm, and is as brisk as ever, drawing the water from the well with her usual spirit, and ever ready when called upon for any service but a chasse au loup."

"Ah! you see," exclaimed La Petite Loriot, crossing herself, "the blessed Virgin is always prepared to help those who implore her, and la bonne mère, no doubt, did not forget to address her prayers to her while you were away."

"Assuredly I did," said the old lady, who had joined us, “and you may be sure I did not forget blessed Saint Beatrix either, for she is my patroness."

I reminded La Petite that we had not heard the legend of that saint, which I observed was, it appeared, connected with this part of the country.

"It is so," said Madlle. Loriot, "and is the more to the purpose as the saint herself was in her sinful days possessed with propensities not very unlike those of my good young friend Camille, who, in spite of his wild doings, bids fair to gain more medals than one at next year's exposition. This is the true legend of Saint Beatrix, and it was in that identical cave which you can see from here in the red rock, not many hundred yards from where Ninine stumbled, that the blessed saint took up her temporary abode.

"She was the youngest of the five daughters of the Count de Roche Corbon, and had been vowed to our lady from her cradle. When she entered the convent of Marmontiers, as mere infant, her piety was quite edifying, and, when, at fifteen, she desired to take the

vows, it was impossible to refuse one so young in years, and so old in devotion; she was accordingly admitted, although it was against the rules, and ought not by rights to have been done. Still, although she was the youngest of all the sisters, she was the gravest, the most regular, and the most fervent.

"The post assigned her was a very distinguished one, that of sacristine, or keeper of the ornaments of the great altar of our lady, and nothing could exceed the pious delight she took in dressing the holy image with flowers and jewels, and attending to the adornment of her shrine. She embroidered, too, in gold, silver and silk, with greater taste than any of the sisters, and, when the figure of our lady was dressed in the robes she made and arranged, all agreed that her talent was equal to her devotion.

"For five years after she had taken the veil she was considered as the greatest glory and pride of the convent, distinguished as all the members were, and in the town and every where in the neighbourhood, her name was cited as the very personification of godliness.

"It so happened about this time that the news arrived at the convent, by means of the lay sisters and visitors, that a great ambassador, from I know not what prince, was travelling through Touraine with a very brilliant suite, and, as he was a singularly pious man, he had a desire to visit the shrine of the great Saint Martin of Tours. One of the sisters of Beatrix was engaged to be married to a young knight who served in the army commanded by this ambassador, and had accompanied him on his expedition. Wonders were told of the beauty of the young nobles, of the splendour of their equipments, of their jewels and armour, and appointments in general; and, for the first time, Beatrix felt a strong desire to look beyond the convent walls on a scene of splendour which she conceived must be worthy of the holy Virgin herself.

"The cortège must pass the convent on the way to Tours, besides which the pious ambassador intended to pause to visit a relative of his own in the convent. Beatrix, unable to conquer her wish, imparted it to the nun who guarded the exterior tower, which looked into the front court, and entreated her to allow her to look through a small window from which a full view could be obtained.

"After a good deal of hesitation the nun consented, for she reflected that nothing could be wrong which so pure a maiden desired so ardently.

"Accordingly, unknown to any one besides, Beatrix repaired to the spot and stationed herself at the window. If she had been astonished and delighted at the procession of the Fête Dieu, the only one she had seen, how much more was she dazzled and bewildered with the superior attractions of this spectacle, in which so many handsome young knights appeared, each more brilliant and more full of spirit than his fellow. She trembled with a thousand agitating thoughts as she gazed, and in her eagerness the rosary she held dropped from her hand and fell to the ground. In an instant a hundred bright eyes were directed towards the spot where she was but half-concealed-smiles, gay words, laughter, and gallant kissing of hands followed, as she stood transfixed with confusion, the object of undisguised admiration.

Long after the gay cavalcade had passed did she continue to

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gaze; and long after did she reflect on the hawks with gay jesses, on the embroidered scarves, on the love devices, on the banners, and on the whole inexplicable but entrancing scene. The Evil One was at work that day, and, alas! she did not struggle against him in his first assault.

A great change came over Beatrix; her happiness was fled; the ornaments of the altar had lost their lustre in her eyes; she no longer cared to perform her duties; she slept not for regret that she should never behold a world she so much admired.

"One morning, beside herself with sorrow, shame, but unconquerable wishes, she knelt before the shrine in the chapel she had served from her infancy, and there, addressing the tranquil image of the Virgin, which looked down smiling and unmoved as ever, she poured forth her agony in these words:

"Madonna-have I not faithfully served you night and day for all the years of my life? have I ever neglected my duties to you, or forgotten anything to your glory? I can no more. I can no longer bear this isolation from a world I long to see. Take back the keys which have been so long in my possession. I resign them into your keeping.'

"So saying she placed the keys behind the statue of the Holy Virgin and fled.

"For fifteen years Beatrix lived in the world and became acquainted with all its vanities. At the end of that time, disgusted and filled with remorse, she wandered back to the convent, and there, knocking at the gate she stood as a wayfarer unknown, and demanded of the new guardian of the tower if she had ever known a nun named Beatrix, and what had become her.

"Know her?' was the surprised reply. Certainly, she is well enough known, and has never quitted the convent where she always serves the chapel of our lady, an example to us all for piety and devotion.'

"Amazed at this news, Beatrix retired, and wandering about the hills came to this cave where she concealed herself, bemoaning her sins. One day as she was kneeling before a rude cross that she had made herself from some dry wood, a sudden apparition blest her sight, and she became aware that the Blessed Virgin was before her. "Beatrix,' said the heavenly vision, for fifteen years I have filled the office which you resigned to me; for fifteen years I have worn your habit and done your duties. It is now my turn to resign. No one is aware of the sin you committed. Return then and repent your faults and resume your place. You will find the keys where you yourself placed them.'

of

"Beatrix returned to the convent-no one ever knew of what had happened except her confessor on her dying bed, and by her long penitence and contrition she justly gained the honours which have been paid her since her death."

La Petite Loriot thus ended her legend, which had not edified La Parisienne much, for she had strayed away during the recital, with our gallant host, with whom she had established a flirtation. We, the listeners, rose from our vine-covered seat, and all together descended to partake of a parting glass of Vouvray, which enabled us to bear the journey back to Tours with infinite ease and much increased animation.

USURY AND USURERS.

"There are boundless thefts in limited professions."-SHAKSPEARE.

THUS wrote our immortal Shakspeare, and modern times and modern practices bear full testimony to the truth of the proposition. The limited, that is to signify, the legalised profession of usury, is a striking and elaborate illustration of the Shakspearian axiom. Money-lending is no longer governed by generous intent, worthy motive, or honourable principle; nor is it, as heretofore, controlled in its operation by the wise, wholesome, and reasonable restrictions of the law; on the contrary, it is boundless and unrestrained in its terms, conditions, and impositions, and, as a consequence, too frequently most ruinous and destructive in its results. Legions of usurers now infest our Metropolis, preying alike upon spendthrift extravagance and commercial necessity, and that with greedy and rapacious appetite, and with no less heartless, merciless and oppressive intent.

Usury, in its plain, unsophisticated, and generally understood sense, is the loan of money at high, exorbitant, and ruinous rate of interest for the use thereof, and, in such sense it has not, nor can it ever have, any great claim to honest countenance or moral approval; nevertheless it has the law's sanction and protection for its unhealthy principle, and it is highly patronised and extensively encouraged in its practice. Usury feeds and fattens in rich and abundant pasture, and works wonderous changes in mundane affairs; it is equally effective in bringing the reckless and extravagant from their high and palmy condition, and in elevating the heartless and avaricious money-grubber to wealth, and investing him with the arbitrary power which wealth creates. Usury is most accommodating in its views, and extensive in its influence and operations; it gives the greatest possible facility to the speedy conversion of property in expectation into actual and immediate, though far from full valuable possession; and in such respect it has a talismanic effect in reconciling spendthrift expectants, prodigal heirs, and remainder-men to the longevity and procrastinated stay of their sires and other life-possessors on the surface of our sublunary sphere, for by its accommodating power the immediate realization of the solvendum in futuro is readily achieved.

How different were the notions of usury prevalent in ancient days as compared with the latitude of opinion now given to it! How praiseworthy was the principle that guided, how generous the intent which prompted, and how wise the legislative enactments which governed, the loan and advance of money, as opposed to the motive, object, and unrestricted system of modern bill-discounting! Usury, which is termed also in the ancient statutes interest and dry exchange, was taken to denote a gain or profit which a person made of his money by lending the same, and even at such early period was looked at in an evil sense, as an unlawful profit made of money, and in such sense it was declared to be forbidden alike by the civil and ecclesiastical law, and by the law of nature.

Use or interest by the civil law was divided into lucrative and compensatory: lucrative, where it was paid and where no advantage