resumed.

The evening shadows were now closing in rapidly, and already above
the furthest visible snow-peak the first risen star sparkled
faintly in the darkening sky. Soon the vesper bell began ringing
as it had rung on the previous night when Alwyn, newly arrived,
had sat alone in the refectory, listlessly wondering what manner
of men he had come amongst, and what would be the final result of
his adventure into the wilds of Caucasus. His feelings had
certainly undergone some change since then, inasmuch as he was no
longer disposed to ridicule or condemn religious sentiment, though
he was nearly as far from actually believing in Religion itself as
ever. The attitude of his mind was still distinctly skeptical--the
immutable pride of what he considered his own firmly rooted
convictions was only very slightly shaken--and he now even viewed
the prospect of his journey to the "field of Ardath" as a mere
fantastic whim--a caprice of his own fancy which he chose to
gratify just for the sake of curiosity.

But notwithstanding the stubbornness of the materialistic
principles with which he had become imbued, his higher instincts
were, unconsciously to himself, beginning to be aroused--his
memory involuntarily wandered back to the sweet, fresh days of his
earliest manhood before the poison of Doubt had filtered through
his soul--his character, naturally of the lofty, imaginative, and
ardent cast, re-asserted its native force over the blighting blow
of blank Atheism which had for a time paralyzed its efforts--and
as he unwittingly yielded more and more to the mild persuasions of
these genial influences, so the former Timon-like bitterness of
his humor gradually softened. There was no trace in him now of the