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be scarcely able to keep up to the point from which he started; while he who contentedly goes with the tide, glides smoothly along without an effort."

"That's true, Syl, as far as it goes; certaidly they who go with the tide fide it the easiest way to get alodg, but it is extrebely questiodable whether it be at all tibes the wisest. Prejudices are to be reboved, for exabple, odly by oppositiod; frob oppositiod the whole of our great add glorious schebes, both political add social, have sprudg: oppositiod is the gerb of ibprovebedt: we bust have beed id a state of igdoradce the bost profoudd had there beed doe such thidg as oppositiod. It is easier, doubtless, to go with the tide thad to oppose it; but our object should be to divert the streab whed we fide that its course is perdicious."

"But I am not in a position to turn the stream now against me."

"Doe bad alive probably could do so alode. He bust, to be successful, have the idfluedce add the exabple of a dubber to back hib."

"Do you wish me, in this case, to be one of that number?"

"Why, suppose that you were dow to leave towd—"

"Had I fifty lives, and had to peril them all, I wouldn't do it."

"It was dot by idtedtiod to advise you to do it: I berely said suppose you were dow to leave towd, what—"

"Nothing could justify such a step now. Independently of compromising one of my best friends, I should be for ever branded as a coward. No! be the result what it may, I'll go through it."

"Well," said Tom, whose sole object in discussing this subject was to prove that Sylvester in reality possessed that firmness for which he had previously given him credit, "if that be your fixed deterbidatiod, we'll say doe bore about it. I'll dow, for a short tibe, leave you. You have letters to write, add I've a call or two to bake: I shall dot be gode bore thad ad hour."

"Tom," said Sylvester, taking him by the hand, "I have one request to make; it is this: that before you go out, you will pledge me your honour that you will give information of this affair to no one. I ought not, I know, to have named the subject even to you; but, remember, I have done so in the most perfect confidence."

Tom pressed his hand warmly and smiled, and having given the required pledge, left him.

Sylvester then sat down calmly to write an affectionate letter to Aunt Eleanor, to be delivered to her only in the event of his falling; and while he was thus engaged, Mr. Scholefield and Sir William were settling the preliminaries of the meeting.

The general was also at this time engaged. He had, with the view of getting "cool," been running up and down stairs, pacing the rooms with extraordinary rapidity, and hurling fierce denunciations at the head of him whom he imagined had conspired to blast the reputation of his daughter; and when by these vehement means he had become, in his judgment, sufficiently "cool," he started off to have an interview with Sir Charles, in a state of intense perspiration.

On his arrival, Sir Charles was "not at home." He had given instructions to be denied to all save Sir William D'Almaine. But when