that was a very strange mass I was at to-day."

Friday came round soon after, and then little Eugene learned where he
stood. Then he saw what hypocrites the self-styled priest, his wife, and
all in his house were. He had perceived his reverence help himself
plentifully to fat meat; and Eugene was invited to eat it himself, but
declined, saying, "I would be a Protestant if I eat meat on Friday; and
I fear ye are all here Protestants." A suppressed laugh was all that his
remark could elicit from these worthies whose gluttony gave him such
scandal.

Eugene's eyes were further opened by some boys at school, who laughed
heartily at his expense when he asked about the "strange mass" that he
had heard on Sunday.

"What mass?" said they; "sure it is only the Popish priests that offer
mass, and it is a wicked thing to go to mass."

The poor child, on seeing the snare laid for him, burst into tears and
wept aloud, calling for his brother Paul by name, and crying, "O woe!
woe! woe!"

The school madam was attracted by the lamentable cries of the lad, and,
learning the cause of them, reprimanded the impudent boys, and tried to
console him. Her attempts were, however, in vain. The child seeing
himself sold and betrayed, his candid soul fell back to its former
melancholy, and he drooped under the weight of the injustice of which he
was the victim.

From that day forward he refused to attend either the night prayers of