Hardcastle, its origin and bonds of familiarity. The examination was frankly responded to, and piqued her curiosity—to gratify which she suggested the propriety of a walk in the flower-yard, as the moonlight was very pleasant; her object, of course, being a more secluded and unrestrained interview than could be prosecuted in the drawing

room.

Her gentle management wound Simon like a string about her thumb. Without reservation he disclosed the whole of Hardcastle's intercourse, commerce, and undertakings with them. Gaining his confidence before his suspicion was awakened, she pledged him to communicate the further progress of the plot to her, as she felt much interest in his companion. Simon gladly yielded, finding himself on a familiar footing with Miss Esther, and being invited to make frequent visits to the family. He asked nothing better than to be her

alism, to resign an ostensibly good venture to the caprices of affection, or to protect her against the probable blight of honorable and honest impulses.

With much secret joy did she skillfully draw from the artless Simon an account of Hardcastle's underhand practices, and yet she knew not what to do with her information. She was consoled and confirmed that it was

best to put off, as far as possible, the evil day of irreclaimable concession. She hoped something from Lessing's keen analysis of the circumstances. But what could he do on a bed of affliction? Her hope was against all hope. To her it appeared hard that two loving hearts and clear heads could not break the chains of social bondage. From her mother she could expect nothing. Her father was a rude, outspoken man, apparently without tenderness, but Esther knew that there lay beneath this exterior a stratum of nice feeling. If she could awaken this part of her father's nature in the right direction, there would be safety; yet she feared his scorn of all deceit, for she knew her own guilt in this respect. But if she could only show that this deceit had been her only protection for a while-that she now disThat night she immediately wrote to carded it, feeling that it was no longer a Lessing the history of her morning's inter-shield against reckless selfishness; could she view with her mother, as well as the eve-quicken his delicate sense of honor to the ning one with Simon.

agent.

If she had felt any wavering before, now she was urgent to have the matter of the difficulty between Hardcastle and Lessing brought to a decision, but not before the former had entered into deeper waters.

Although a girl of nerve to meet ordinary difficulties, she could see no way of positive escape from the toils thickening around her. Her word had been given to her parents, assenting to a union with the stranger. It had been given under false impressions. Her own views of Lessing's character had undergone no change. When she gave her consent, she felt herself free in fancy as in hand, and that possibly a connection with Hardcastle was the more desirable establishment.

Her own emotions had not been wholly the property of her judgment. She had not known herself. Nature unconsciously developed within her bosom strong and stronger inclinations toward the manliness of Lessing's behavior and parts.

Once, however, subdued to her parents' wishes, she could devise no release from her voluntary thraldom. She dared not trust to the magnanimity of Hardcastle. In her estimate of his disposition, he was of too hard a composition, too grasping a materi

black designs, as she believed them to be, of Hardcastle, the whole of his being would revolt against the course which he now favored.

How to do this? She needed something more than the moon-struck crudities of

She must have

Simon's impressible brain for evidence. The
General would scout all Simon's narrative
and leave her in greater despondency and
hopelessness than ever.
something positive. Placing some reliance
upon Simon's revelations, she anxiously ex-
pected decisive developments— convinced,
as she was, that Hardcastle was fully dis-
posed to traffic with Mayfair's delusions.
Suppose that Simon had overcharged the
story with particulars from his own bewil-
dered brains? Then she could not undeceive
her father. Then, too, on the other side,
she ascribed to Hardcastle too much caution
and foresight to be caught in any damaging
position.

Poor girl! she was in wondering mazes
lost.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)