His step grew slower, his eye more intent, his brow quiet.

"She is right and I am wrong," he thought. "She is by far the nobler creature-worth many such as I. Like her I cannot be—I cannot regain what I have lost,—I cannot undo what years have done. But I can be something other than I am! If there be a system of remedy, as there well may, it may as well take effect on myself first. She says everybody has his work; I believe her. It must in the nature of things be so. I will make it my business to find out what mine is; and when I have made that "sure I will give myself to the doing of it. An Allwise Governor must look for service of me. He shall have it. Whatever my

life be it shall be to some end. If not what I would, what I can. If not the purity of the rose, that of tempered steel!"

Mr. Carleton walked his room for three hours; then rung for his servant and ordered him to prepare everything for leaving Paris the second day thereafter.

The next morning over their coffee he told his mother of his purpose.

"Leave Paris!-To-morrow!--My dear Guy, that is rather a sudden notice.”

“No mother-for I am going alone.”

His mother immediately bent an anxious and somewhat terrified look upon him. The frank smile she met put half her suspicions out of her head at once.

"What is the matter?"

Nothing at all-if by 'matter' you mean mischief." "You are not in difficulty with those young men again?" "No mother," said he coolly. "I am in difficulty with no one but myself."

"With yourself! But why will you not let me go with

you?"

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My business will go on better if I am quite alone.” "What business?"

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Only to settle this question with myself," said he smiling. "But Guy! you are enigmatical this morning. Is it the question that of all others I wish to see settled?"

"No mother," said he laughing and colouring a little,-"I don't want another half to take care of till I have this one under management."

“I don't understand you," said Mrs. Carleton.

"There

is no hidden reason under all this that you are keeping from me?"

"I won't say that. But there is none that need give you the least uneasiness. There are one or two matters I want to study out--I cannot do it here, so I am going where I shall be free."

"Where?"

"I think I shall pass the summer between Switzerland and Germany."

“And when and where shall I meet you again?"

"I think at home;-I cannot say when."

“At home!" said his mother with a brightening face. "Then you are beginning to be tired of wandering at last?"

"Not precisely, mother,―rather out of humour."

"I shall be glad of anything," said his mother, gazing at him admiringly, "that brings you home again, Guy."

"Bring me home a better man, I hope, mother," said he kissing her as he left the room. "I will see you again by and by."

"A better man!" thought Mrs. Carleton, as she sat with full eyes, the image of her son filling the place where his presence had been;-“I would be willing never to see him better and be sure of his never being worse!"

Mr. Carleton's farewell visit found Mr. and Mrs. Rossitur not at home. They had driven out early into the country to fetch Marion from her convent for some holiday. Fleda came alone into the saloon to receive him.

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66 It

I have your rose in safe keeping, Elfie," he said. has done me more good than ever a rose did before.” Fleda smiled an innocently pleased smile. But her look 'changed when he added,

"I have come to tell you so and to bid you good-bye." "Are you going away, Mr. Carleton !”

"Yes.""

"But you will be back soon?”

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No, Elfie,—I do not know that I shall ever come back.” He spoke gravely, more gravely than he was used; and Fleda's acuteness saw that there was some solid reason for this sudden determination. Her face changed sadly,

but she was silent, her eyes never wavering from those that read hers with such gentle intelligence.

'You will be satisfied to have me go, Elfie, when I tell you that I am going on business which I believe to be duty. Nothing else takes me away. I am going to try to do right," said he smiling.

Elfie could not answer the smile. She wanted to ask whether she should never see him again, and there was another thought upon her tongue too; but her lip trembled and she said nothing.

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I shall miss my good fairy," Mr. Carleton went on lightly;"I don't know how I shall do without her. If your wand was long enough to reach so far I would ask you to touch me now and then, Elfie."

Poor Elfie could not stand it. Her head sank. She knew she had a wand that could touch him, and well and gratefully she resolved that its light blessing should "now and then" rest on his head; but he did not understand that; he was talking, whether lightly or seriously, and Elfie knew it was a little of both, he was talking of wanting her help, and was ignorant of the help that alone could avail him. "Oh that he knew but that !"--What with this feeling and sorrow together the child's distress was exceeding great; and the tokens of grief in one so accustomed to hide them were the more painful to see. Mr. Carleton drew the sorrowing little creature within his arm and endeavoured with a mixture of kindness and lightness in his tone to cheer her.

“I shall often remember you, dear Elfie," he said; shall keep your rose always and take it with me wherever I go.--You must not make it too hard for me to quit Paris. -you are glad to have me go on such an errand, are you not?"

She presently commanded herself, bade her tears wait till another time as usual, and trying to get rid of those that covered her face, asked him, "What errand ?"

He hesitated.

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"I have been thinking of what we were talking of yesterday, Elfie," he said at length. I am going to try to discover my duty, and then to do it."

But Fleda at that clasped his hand, and squeezing it in

both hers bent down her little head over it to hide her face and the tears that streamed again. He hardly knew how to understand or what to say to her. He half suspected that there were depths in that childish mind beyond his fathoming. He was not however left to wait long. Fleda, though she might now and then be surprised into shewing it, never allowed her sorrow of any kind to press upon the notice or the time of others. She again checked herself and dried her face.

"There is nobody else in Paris that will be so sorry for my leaving it," said Mr. Carleton, half tenderly and half pleasantly.

"There is nobody else that has so much cause," said Elfie, near bursting out again, but she restrained herself. 44 And you will not come here again, Mr. Carleton ?" she said after a few minutes.

"I do not say that-it is possible-if I do, it will be to see you, Elfie."

A shadow of a smile passed over her face at that. It was gone instantly.

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My mother will not leave Paris yet," he went on,you will see her often.”

But he saw that Fleda was thinking of something else; she scarce seemed to hear him. She was thinking of something that troubled her.

“Mr. Carleton—-” she began, and her colour changed. "Speak, Elfie."

Her colour changed again. “Mr. Carleton--will you be displeased if I say something?”

"Don't you know me better than to ask me that, Elfie ?” he said gently.

"I want to ask you something,-if you won't mind my saying it."

"What is it?" said he, reading in her face that a request was behind. "I will do it."

Her eyes sparkled, but she seemed to have some difficulty in going on.

"I will do it, whatever it is," he said watching her. "Will you wait for me one moment, Mr. Carleton ?” "Half an hour."

She sprang away, her face absolutely flashing pleasure

through her tears. It was much soberer, and again doubtful and changing colour, when a few minutes afterwards she came back with a book in her hand. With a striking mixture of timidity, modesty, and eagerness in her countenance she came forward, and putting the little volume, which was her own bible, into Mr. Carleton's hands said under her breath, "Please read it." She did not venture to look up.

He saw what the book was; and then taking the gentle hand which had given it, he kissed it two or three times. If it had been a princess's he could not with more respect. "You have my promise, Elfie," he said. "I need not repeat it?"

She raised her eyes and gave him a look so grateful, so loving, so happy, that it dwelt for ever in his remembrance. A moment after it had faded, and she stood still where he had left her, listening to his footsteps as they went down the stairs. She heard the last of them, and then sank upon her knees by a chair and burst into a passion of tears. Their time was now and she let them come. It was not only the losing a loved and pleasant friend, it was not only the stirring of sudden and disagreeable excitement t;-poor poor Elfie was crying for her bible. It had

been her father's own--it was filled with his marks-it was precious to her above price-and Elfie cried with all her heart for the loss of it. She had done what she had on the spur of the emergency-she was satisfied she had done right; she would not take it back if she could; but not the less her bible was gone, and the pages that loved eyes had looked upon were for hers to look upon no more. Her very heart was wrung that she should have parted with it, —and yet,-what could she do?-It was as bad as the parting with Mr. Carleton.

That agony was over, and even that was shortened for "Hugh would find out that she had been crying." Hours had passed, and the tears were dried, and the little face was bending over the wonted tasks with a shadow upon its wonted cheerfulness,-when Rosaline came to tell her that Victor said there was somebody in the passage who wanted to see her and would not come in.

It was Mr. Carleton himself. He gave her a parcel, smiled at her without saying a word, kissed her hand earn