"No; it was not to fish. He came north for the same reason that I have come, to ask for the hand of Miss May Dainty."

"And Miss May Dainty really cannot find language to express her obligation

99

"Stay a moment, May, and answer me solemnly and truthfully -do you really love me, and will you be my wife?"

"You ask me to marry you," laughed May, "and yet you have never said you cared for me."

"You must have seen that I loved you. Surely I need not assure you of my affection; yet hear me, accepted or rejected, you I have loved, and you I will love, you and none other, for ever and ever!"

She made no verbal answer, but her eyes dropped, and a deep blush crimsoned her cheek. However, Charley thought it was a very satisfactory reply, and, drawing her gently towards him, he kissed her for the first time.

"You will be true, Charley?" she whispered.

"True !" he echoed. "Do you think I would pluck the diamond from the ring I shall wear for ever? True! ay, true as your own sweet self, May."

And then they grew very sentimental and very foolish, but it was not till they were on the point of parting that May hinted he might have some trouble in gaining papa's consent, as that gentleman had set his mind upon his daughter marrying money, of which Charley, like many a better man, had none.

Next morning, when Mr. Dainty was away fishing, Charley and May had a long walk together. In the afternoon, Charley made a formal call at the cottage, and introduced the subject of his mar. riage to Mr. Dainty.

"My daughter has accepted you, has she?" asked the old gentleman.

Charley bowed.

"And how are you going to live?"

"Oh! very lovingly," answered Charley, simply.

"Hum! You are not the first young man who has thought love capable of providing food and clothes for an unlimited number of people. Very questionable individual love. Never knew him catch a trout, never," grumbled Mr. Dainty.

“Oh, you mean how I am going to provide for household expenditure?"

"Exactly! Have you any land ?”

"I believe in a rash moment my old grandfather purchased a vault in Leatham churchyard; and I am his heir, you know." "And that is the extent of your landed property?" Charley confessed very ruefully that it was.

"Have you anything invested in the Three per Cents. ?". "No," replied Charley; "but I think my old grandfather had-"

"Had something in the Stocks, had he?" said Mr. Dainty rubbing his hands.

"Yes; his legs !" answered Charley, with a grin.

"Ho! ho! ho! Ha! ha ha!" laughed the old gentleman. "But I have my salary, sir," said Charley, thinking he had made some impression.

“Ah, your salary and nothing more. Then, sir, the match would be a very rash and unsuitable one, and I refuse to sanction it. You need say no more," continued he, firmly, "you shall never marry my daughter. Good evening, sir."

For one moment Charley was minded to take up the chair upon which he had been sitting, and test accurately the thickness of Mr. Dainty's skull; but he remembered that May was the old man's daughter, so he said quietly:

"If you will reconsider--"

"I shall not reconsider anything," interrupted Mr. Dainty; you have had your answer, and may leave the room."

Charley snatched up his hat and went off in a rage. He paused upon the bridge, and, looking back, saw his intended father-in-law trotting towards the stream with his beloved fishing-rod in his hand.

"May the muckle-horned clootie himself take all fish and fishermen; I swear I will never touch a rod again," and Charley stamped till the rotten timbers shook beneath him.

Next day he must return to London. Poor fellow! he felt there was no hope of the hard-hearted old man relenting; and he spent a wretched evening.

After breakfast next day he went boldly up to the cottage; of course he knew her father would be fishing, and that he would find May alone. It was a sad and, withal, a happy morning for both; but the dreadful parting came at last. They would be true to each other, and bide their time; this was the best that could be done, and bad enough it was. At last Charley tore himself away from her. He crossed the bridge, scarcely knowing what he was doing, for his eyes were blinded with tears, and his heart was very sad. Suddenly he heard a well-known voice crying, "Help! help!"

"It is the old villain in the water, by Jove!" exclaimed Charley. "Now, shall I leave him to drown, or pull him out and appeal to his gratitude? The former would be safer, but it must be the latter," and he dashed through the wood.

Alas, Charley! Mr. Dainty is not in the water; he is on terra firma, as vigorous as ever, and he is playing a large fish.

Charley's countenance fell, and he began to consider the ad

visability of using some forcible expressions as safety-valves; but Mr. Dainty continued roaring for help.

"What do you want help for ?" said Charley, sulkily.

"Oh, it's you, is it? Well, don't you see that salmon-whoop! (as the fish gave a tremendous plunge, and the reel spun round)— it's a twenty-pound fish on cobweb tackle and a small fly. I have had him for hours; but don't you see if he gets out of the pool I can't follow him. Jump in where it narrows and stop him." Charley grinned a quiet grin, but moved not.

"Quick man! Don't be afraid of wetting your feet. Can't you see he's going nearer and nearer ?"

"Very like a whale !" said Charley, with a sly wink.

"Of course he is like a whale; but never mind his size; for Heaven's sake jump in or I shall lose him!"

"Will you let me marry May if I do?"

"Good gracious! I'll let you hang yourself." "I have no doubt; but will you?"

"Of course, you may marry her when you like," yelled the excited angler; "on my word of honour you may; only stop that fish." "Charley sprang into the water, just in time, for the half. drowned salmon floated down, and Charley sliding both arms under it, threw the fish clean out of the water.

"Bravo! Bravo!" shouted Mr. Dainty.

salmon on tackle like that."

"A twenty-pound

"I have to thank you for the sweetest"Yes, sir, by Gad! a hard fighting fish is always the sweetest." "The sweetest girl, and an ornament--'

"An ornament," interrupted Mr. Dainty, "aye, such an ornament as you don't pick up every day; but as stubborn and obstinate---”

"Pardon me, sir, she is gentle and yielding."

"Gentle and yielding! Why, sir, she fought like a tiger." "I beg to disbelieve it," said Charley, hotly.

"Why, man, what are you talking about?"

"About my future wife; about May, of course."

"Oh, May!" said Mr. Dainty, contemptuously. "I suppose I shall have to prepare for the wedding, a bargain being a bargain; but to talk about May in the same breath with that fish

Charley had gone. Gone to dry up the tears of the girl he loved. When Hugh and his wife returned to England and paid their first visit to Mr. and Mrs. Dainty, they saw a curious ornament occupying the central position of the parlour mantel-piece. It was an old fishing-rod under a splendid glass cover, and upon the ebony block beneath were written these words-" My wedding gift to my aughter May." W. DINSDALE.

THE WAY OF THE WORLD.

"TIS a weird and wonderful thing to think
That we who are standing upon the brink
Of a bottomless precipice called the grave,
Should never attempt, while we may, to save
Ourselves from toppling over!

But the fact of it is, not one believes

That he can fall, and with flowers and leaves,
The edge of the charm we cover.

That others fall in we believe and know,
We daily see it, accustomed grow,

And think it right that it should be so ;
But that we ourselves, who speak and feel,
Should over the edge of the precipice reel-
Impossible! nonsense! it cannot be !
You smile: well question yourself and see
If such is not your opinion, too;
Not spoken, perhaps, but in secret held?
Yet sooner or later you'll be compelled
To take that leap in the dark, for you-
For you and I, by the crowds behind
Are, resistless, hurried along to find
No resting-place for our weary feet,
Till we on the edge of the precipice meet,
Where we topple an instant, reel, and fall—
Fall-and perish? The fate of all

Who take that leap to the rest's unknown;
But the corn we hid in the earth has grown,
And the dewdrops dried on the flowers below,
Ascend to Heaven, and form, we know,
Of Hope and Promise the radiant bow.

W. T. G.

HORACE:

A NOVEL.

BY MATTHEW SETON,
Author of "Sidera," "The Love of Lennox," etc.

CHAPTER IX.

FLOCK TOGETHER.

"Loan oft loses both itself and friend,

And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry."

Hamlet.

THE two young gentlemen entered a dingy-looking building in Craig's Court, the front door of which was open, mounted two flights of stairs, and knocked at another door which was shut, and on which the name of Mr. Luchars was inscribed. It was opened presently by a hungry-looking elderly man, dressed in a thread-bare suit of grey, which appeared to have belonged at one time to a much larger individual. This person informed them in a kind of half-whisper, that he was Mr. Luchars' clerk, and that his master was at home, but engaged. Could they wait for a-bit? He didn't think Mr. Luchars would be long. They said they could easily wait, and were shown into a mean little ante-room, furnished with two shabby chairs, and the general appearance of which recalled the dirty waiting-room of some obscure station on a Scotch railway. Between this apartment and Mr. Luchars' consulting-room was a partition, which, as it did not extend quite up to the ceiling, allowed the sound of voices in one room to be heard in the other. Grantley and Fred, as they possessed themselves of the two chairs could hear several voices speaking together in a highly declamatory vein.

"Business transacted under difficulties," remarked the latter. Grantley nodded his head and said, "I believe you."

The shabby clerk stood looking out of a window on which the dust of centuries seemed to have accumulated; and, perhaps, the cleanness of his own fingers was not much improved by a habit he had of strumming popular comic songs at intervals on the panes of glass. Occasionally he turned his eyes furtively towards the two visitors; but when it chanced that his met theirs, his face immediately assumed a deferential smile, and he looked out of window again.

Grantley and Fred waited patiently for a quarter of an hour, and then they both looked at their watches.