Year: 1879

mility and prayer, to win forgiveness for it,
and she believed herself to be forgiven. Of
the Justice Of this belief it is not for any one
to Judge. If she had fallen in the day of
temptation, only He who had suffered her to
be tempted could know the extent of her
weakness and pass judgment upon her &C.
cordingly.


She sometimes wondered whether, if Will
fred had known her history, he would have
shrunk from assocating himself with her on
terms of friendship and intimacy. But she
could not feel herself called upon to unfold
the tale of her folly to his ears. Forty odd
years had gone by since then, and what good
could be done by his hearing it now? 1t was
not likely that he would condemn her harsh
ly, or even reject her friendship; but she
would feel herself lowered in his esteem, and
the thought of being thus lowered distressed
her. On the whole, she decided to let the
matter rest. She almost wondered that the
idea of recurring to it should have entered
her mind at all. And yet, by a strange con-
tradiction, the thought of appearing in his
eyes otherwise than she really was-the
knowledge that he believed her to be as pure
and good as his own mother had been--some-
times thrilled her with keen, selfreproach.
ful pain. -


Weeks and months went by, and the al
lance, so suddenly, and, as it would seem, so
rashly formed, prospered in every way. Will
fred, while his protectress, or rather benefac'
tress, extended to him the affection and care
Of mother, delighting herself in seeking out
and supplying his every want, found her in
no wise disposed to exact more of him in re-
turn than he was fully inclined to give. Nat
urally kind hearted, warm in his sympathies
and affections, and brought up with a rever.
ence for age, he treated her, of his own &C.
cord, with ilial attention and respect, never
neglecting the courtesies which she so highly
priced, and constantly striving tc show his
appreciation of her unbounded liberality,
which left him nothing to wish for. He had
decided upon the law as profession, and she
had Immediately arranged for him to study
with one of the finest lawyers in the city. In
this gentleman's office he passed some hours
of each day, enjoying every facility for his
advantage and improvement which was thus
afforded him, while ambitious dreams of a
brilliant career began to mingle in his antici-
pations, and inspired him with an energy and
determination that augured we'll for their full
6llment. He fell in, fortunately, with steady
set of associates, and his leisure time was en-
ployed in no greater dissipation than an oc-
casional visit to club-room or theatre, or q
sporting excursion into the country. Mad
anne darcy, who watched him with an anx-
ious eye, was relieved to find that all his
tastes were of quiet and gentlen anly order,
and that the fast life which so many of the
youths of New York-and, indeed, else
where-delght in, had no charms for him.
Most frequently his evenings were spent at
home. At Madame's own desire, he some.
times brought friend home to dinner or to
tea; and on Sundays he regularly went with
her once day to quiet and unpretending
church in the neighborhood, where the Cos
pei was preached in its native purity, and
the worship was conducted undisturbed by
the encroachment of any new-fashioned or
indecorous forms.


Altogether, the pair led very tranquil
and happy life; and those who knew them,
witnessing their mutual attachment, would
never have supposed that the tie between
them was not one of relationship, so close and
firm had it already become.


fro BE CONTINUED. ~.