"But why don't you come to see us as you used to ?" said Hulda, when she had at last taken her arms from Miss Arnet's neck. "I asked Thornton the other day, and he said—”

"What did he say ?" inquired Marion.

"I don't believe I know," said Hulda; "it was so many queer words. He said he couldn't undertake-to account for young ladies' freaks.-Yes, that was it, because I said it over and over for fear I should forget it.”

Marion sprang up, and crossing the room to where Rosalie sat she said in a kind of indignant undertone— "Is that the way I am understood? Is that what he thinks of me ?"

"No," was the quiet and sad reply.

Miss Arnet knelt down by her side, and leaning her elbows on the chair arm went on in the same vehement way

"Then what does he mean by saying so? It is cruel to say what he does not think!—it is unjust!"

"He is neither to you, Marion. He is only cruel and unjust to himself."

"Then what does this mean?" she repeated, but more quietly.

"It means only that he is not happy," said his sister sorrowfully. "You do not wonder at that ?"

Marion's head drooped lower and rested upon her hands. "What can I do ?" she said at length. I will never subject myself to the miseries I have seen in my own uncle's family. Rosalie! he has ruined himself-he has ruined them, in mind, character, and estate; and when he came here one night and said he had been playing with Thornton

For a minute the room was absolutely still, and the figures there might have been statues.

"I told Thornton at once," said Miss Arnet, raising her head, "that unless he would promise me never to play for money again, I would have no more to do with him than with the rest of the world. And he would not give the promise-said he would not be dictated to by any woman as if it was not more for his sake than my own, after all!

"Do you blame me ?" she said, after another pause. "No."

But the word was spoken with such evident pain, that Miss Arnet put her arms about Rosalie, and tried every word of soothing she could think of.

"I am very, very wrong to go this all over to you again, you have enough of your own to bear. Only it is such a relief to speak out. Alie! what is the matter? you are not well-you are perfectly white."

66

Yes, quite well," Rosalie said. But the bitterness of the thoughts and feelings that had been at work could no longer be kept in. Speak out Rosalie never did now; but the sorrow that for a few moments held her in its strong grasp told of. heart sickness such as Marion could hardly comprehend. She was almost as much frightened as grieved.

"I don't know where my common sense went to this morning," she said, when Rosalie had once looked up and given the assurance that there was nothing new the matter. "It is a perfect shame for me to lean upon you -little frail thing that you are, and younger than I am to begin with. I should think you would hate me, Rosalie, for bringing this upon you."

66

'My dear child, you have not brought it."

"Well, but don't call me child," said Miss Arnet, trying to take down her cousin's hands, "because it's really absurd for me to look up to you,-I shall not do it any more if I can help it. For the future, Alie, you may lean upon me. But indeed I have hard work sometimes. Mamma, you know, takes different ground-says I have behaved shockingly, and she has no patience with me. And it is not a light thing to see such a change in a friend one has always had."

His sister knew that! But she sat up now, and pushing the hair back off her face with an expression of quiet patience, she said gently

"I do not blame you, dear-I could not have advised you to do otherwise than you have done."

"Perhaps it will all turn out well yet," said Marion, looking at her anxiously; "perhaps he will change his

mind."

G

"It may be that God will change it," said his sister, though the calm words trembled a little,-and Miss Arnet

knew then why she looked up to her. "The grace of God which bringeth salvation hath done harder things than that." And as her face once more rested on her

hands, Rosalie added

"Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee!"""

No more was said; and after a few moments Hulda was aroused, and they went home.

CHAPTER XII.

I dare do all that may become a man;
Who dares do more, is none.-Macbeth.

"WHAT a confoundedly stupid thing it is that people can't do as they choose!" said Thornton, throwing down the paper one morning.

66 Do you

think so ?" said his sister. "Now I think that much of the confusion of the world is because people will do as they choose."

"What else should they do?" "That depends

-Choice is a poor reason if there be

no reason in the choice."

"Now here," continued Thornton without heeding her, "here has this precious court-martial dismissed Capt. Lewis from the army, just because he chose to play cards."

"Chose to gamble-" said Rosalie.

"Call it what you like-" said Thornton,-"I can't for the life of me see whose concern it was but his own. Why shouldn't he gamble if it amuses him ?"

"Why shouldn't he cut throats if it amuses him ?" "He may for what I care."

"What are the reasons given for his dismissal ?" said Rosalie," what is the verdict ?"

"Here it is, in full."

"At a general court-martial, whereof Colonel Thomas Parker was president, was tried Captain Charles Lewis, of the 29th regiment, on the following charge and specifications:

"Charge-Conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman. "Specification 1. Holding a faro-bank at his quarters near Buffalo, about the 6th Nov. 1812.

"Specif. 2. Gambling with his own waiter, and other soldiers, at faro, same time and place.

"Specif. 3. Winning and receiving money of soldiers, same time and place.

"Specif. 4. Boasting to his waiter, that he had won sixty dollars with a pack of cards, about the same time and place.

"To which charge and specifications the prisoner pleaded not guilty of the charge-guilty of the first and third specifications, and not guilty of the fourth.

"The court, after mature deliberation, find the prisoner, Capt. Charles Lewis, guilty of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th specifications; and guilty of the charge preferred against him; and sentence him to be dismissed the service of the United States.

"The General approves the sentence; and Capt. Charles Lewis is accordingly dismissed the service of the United States.

"(By order)

"JAMES BANKHEAD, brigade major."

"Pretty specimen of impertinent and unjust interference, isn't it ?" said Thornton when he had finished.

"I know too little of military law to say whether it be unjust or no; but I should sooner call it humanity than impertinence-if it makes Capt. Lewis ashamed of what does not become the gentleman and ruins the man.”

"What nonsense you do talk!" said Thornton angrily; "just because you know nothing about the matter-or think nothing."

66 'Just because I know and think. O Thornton, you should not defend gambling!-it has lost us too much." "Lost! how do you know that I ever lost anything ?"

"I know of one most precious thing,-I need not seek further."

"It will be time enough to remind me of that when I have forgotten it," said the young man with an uneasy change of posture.

She left her seat, and kneeling down by him leant her head on his shoulder.

"Is it possible that you can remember and disregard it? What would I not do,-what would I not bear, to save you from these false friends-these degrading and ruining pursuits! To see you take the part of a man and a Christian in the world. To see you live for something more than the day's laugh and the night's amusement. O Thornton, is it worthy of you ?-while this command stands unerased, "I am the Almighty God. Walk before me and be thou perfect."

He was looking down, somewhat sullenly; and neither by word nor look did he answer her words, nor the hand that drew back the hair from his forehead as caressingly as if he had been a child, nor the earnest eyes that he knew were studying his face. In his secret mind, Thornton felt very much as if he were Captain Lewis just hearing Major Bankhead dismiss him the service,-but if Rosalie's power was strong, so also was his resistance.

"And you think," he said, "that people's hearts are always open to the view of their fellow-creatures,-that secret good and evil do not exist."

"I think anything else," said his sister. "But I must believe the words of Christ, and he says, "Whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

How tenderly it was spoken! and yet how gravely too. Thornton thought he had got about enough. His next effort was in a different way.

"There is no doubt of your filling your place as a woman," he said lightly. "I will give my testimony to that effect whenever it is called for. But for the present, as you do not belong to my regiment, suppose you let me repair to those that do. As to taking you for my commanding officer, I'll think about it,-it's not always safe to invest guardians with extraordinary powers. So let