totype of a feminine being yet to be found in some real woman by whom his own existence was to be completed, that Hardy's eyes fell, his cheeks glowed, so much did the imaginary portrait resemble Miss Aveley.

"I believe there may be such a being," said Gordon, concluding his enthusiastic speech," and to make myself worthy of such an one shall be the aim of my life-whether I ever meet her or not, I shall in that aim have my reward."

"I know that there is such a woman-I have seen her," Hardy said, with a sigh.

"And you say you are too poor to be in love? That is just as true as the saying that a man is too poor to keep a conscience. God forces the conscience on him, at some period or other, to his grief, if he have not chosen that it shall not be to his joy-you will find this to your cost yet, Hardy; if you have known such purity and nobleness in woman as I have described, and have not given up your soul to them in entire devotion."

If I

"Romance, Gordon, romance! needed a warning against anything so silly as allowing my thoughts to turn on love and marriage, have not I it, in the condition of the family of Bismark, my predecessor in the counting-house-have not we, clerks, made a subscription for his widow and children the other day?"

"Yes, Bismark's was a bad affair—but it was not marrying when a clerk with seventy pounds a year, that made it such-and to turn from love, in which you seem determined not to be interested, I will tell you the history of the man, who died on the day of your coming to Liverpool to take his place."

"I think, now, I could not have had one much worse."

"Ay?-Well!-He had good reason to think so with regard to himself-but you are young and have in that, a real advantage over him. You like the prospect which commerce offers-you shall hear his story.

Bismark began business with twenty thousand pounds! three years made him a beggar without any fault of his own. He was no worse as to means for re-commencing, than many of our richest men were, when they started in life. But they had not been brought up in any of the habits of wealth; they could be mean until the time came for them to be ostentatious. Bismark did not resemble them in that, and they did not resemble him in having the remembrance of a great disappointment weighing on them at the commencement of their career. All that they made was so much gained; all that he made was but the fraction of a fortune restored. He began the world a second time, but as you may understand at a disadvantage with those even who had nothing to begin on. He worked industriously-he seemed to be making way—he married. Thus, you see he is not chargeable with having done what you so justly condemn-he did not marry when a clerk. In a few years he had a

family around him-and, again, his affairs took a wrong turn-he became a bankrupt. It was after this, that utterly disheartened, he took a situation as a clerk. His character was unimpeached notwithstanding all that had happened, and his industry was great.

"In a short time all agreed that he was one of those men (for there are such) who can work successfully for others, though not for themselves. He was trusted and put in that post in our house which gave him the highest salary in it; still, one inadequate without pinching economy for the wants of his numerous family. Having it in his power to pay himself in advance he got into the habit of doing so-was, at last, not able to refund. The defalcation was discovered, but the affair was not made public; he only sunk to that place which you, Hardy, occupy. His wife began a lodging establishment and suceeeded tolerably well-by that means he was enabled to pay twenty five pounds yearly, which was necessary for an insurance

on his life, that he might at his death clear off his debt to his employers. He had a long illness, and after his troubles were over his wife fell into bad health, lost her lodgers, and her furniture was sold up to pay what she owed. Her children were starving when our little contribution was sent to her-but, our employers had the sum for the policy on Bismark's life, which they held."

There was a long pause-neither of the young men chose to say what he thought. Gordon's voice betrayed his emotion as he ended this little tale, and Hardy's countenance expressed an ingenuous scorn of the grasping conduct of those whom he had hitherto regarded with respect.

"Hardy," said Gordon, resuming the conversation, "you wish by a mercantile life to become a rich man-you wish the same for me also; could any amount of wealth pay us for having souls like theirs, who knowing what happiness-what gladness to die-they could have brought to poor Bismark's