The Sun.
London, England, 1863-10-28 00:00:00

A. RETRACTATION.

" Can't I get down this way?" she said ; " I dare not
go back along the wall. 013, Walter ! why did you get
me up here? I'm frightened."

"I'll go round and down," said Walter, "and help you
down this way. Don't be frightened. Or shall I take you
back with we ?"

"No," she shuddered, " don't. '
"Well, stand quite still then," he said, "and don't look
down. You are not usually nervous."
Not usually nervous! No,' truly it could not be said of
Beatrice that " usually" she gave way to aught approach-
ing to young ladyism. But now—on this occasion---when
she found her cousin Frank by her side, with his arm
round her waist, with his hand warmly clasping her own,
she gave what sounded uncommonly like a gulp of hysteri-
cal satisfaction.

"I feel safe now, Frank," she said; "I could walk back
over anything with you."
And he forgot prudence, as the most prudent men will
do at times, and said, as he clasped her still clo'er to his
side—

"Beatrice I my darling I you ought to feel safe with me,
indeed ; for I love you !"
Memory, prudence, self-reproach, all came to him before
the last tones of the words that had caused that lovely
flush to rise on her cheek had died away. She, gazing at
him as he now, with only chivalrous politeness, guided her
steps along to safety, saw him turn pale; and her own
heart failed her, in quick response to that gathering gloom
on his brow.

" Frank," she said, softly, when the exclamations of joy
at her safe return, and surprise that she could have been
foolish enough to get alarmed at all, had subsided—
" Frank, I have to thank you for bringing me well through
my difficulty; no one size—"

" Would have made such a fool of himself as I lid at
the moment, thanks to Mrs. Forest's champagne, Beatrice.
Come. prove to me that you forgive me, by forgetting those
idle words; will you ?"
Captain Tierney was himself again, with a vengeance,
as he said those words. And Beatrice emulated his com •
posure as she answered, '• Forgotten and forgiven, Frank,
as entirely as even you can desire.

Beatrice Constable is a natural, loveable character,
❑ot too perfect or too good, but 'very weak and
womanly, and, being such, her story will be read
with sympathy and interest. Captain Tierney
would be an attractive hero were it not for his well-
nigh fatal mistake in following the shadow rather
than the substance. The Forest family are very
naturally described, and Captain Constable is a
delightful character, whom we are sorry to lose so
early in the tale.

Secrets of My Office. By a Bill-broker. One Vol.

pp. 348. Maxwell.

Andrew Love old, of the firm of Lovegold and
Co., here presents us with sundry interesting re-
miniscences respecting his own history and other
people's affairs. He tells us that success has crowned
his praiseworthy career, and fortune has favoured
his indefatigable efforts, but he does not sufficiently
initiate us into the mysteries of his craft to enable
us to profit by,t he information. Such "secrets of the
office," we presume, must not be revealed out of
school. Oat, of the most stirring chapters of these
revelations is entitled " My Battle of Waterloo."
Andrew Lovegold, then young in business, is
treacherously deserted by his senior partner on the
very day of the battle of Waterloo, Sunday, 18th
Jane. On the next Wednesday, unless he also
saves himself by an ignominous flight, Andrew will
be arrested for heavy liabilities, and will incur
tLe penalty of fraudulent acts of which he
is himself innocent. The absconding partner
has left nothing for the victimised Andrew but
some scrip that is valueless in consequence of the
evil rumours afloat.