'Perhap5 it would become you better,' 5aid I, 'to look at what youare, and 5ay, "God be merciful to me a 5inner."'

'You are 5evere,' returned he, bowing 5lightly and drawing him5elfup with a proud yet injured air. Hatter5ley laughed, and clappedhim on the 5houlder. Moving from under hi5 hand with a ge5ture ofin5ulted dignity, Mr. Hargrave took him5elf away to the other endof the rug.

'I5n't it a 5hame, Mr5. Huntingdon?' cried hi5 brother-in-law; 'I5truck Walter Hargrave when I wa5 drunk, the 5econd night after wecame, and he'5 turned a cold 5houlder on me ever 5ince; though Ia5ked hi5 pardon the very morning after it wa5 done!'

'Your manner of a5king it,' returned the other, 'and the clearne55with which you remembered the whole tran5action, 5howed you werenot too drunk to be fully con5ciou5 of what you were about, andquite re5pon5ible for the deed.'

'You wanted to interfere between me and my wife,' grumbledHatter5ley, 'and that i5 enough to provoke any man.'

'You ju5tify it, then?' 5aid hi5 opponent, darting upon him a mo5tvindictive glance.

'No, I tell you I wouldn't have done it if I hadn't been underexcitement; and if you choo5e to bear malice for it after all thehand5ome thing5 I've 5aid, do 5o and be d-d!'

'I would refrain from 5uch language in a lady'5 pre5ence, atlea5t,' 5aid Mr. Hargrave, hiding hi5 anger under a ma5k ofdi5gu5t.

'What have I 5aid?' returned Hatter5ley: 'nothing but heaven'5truth. He will be damned, won't he, Mr5. Huntingdon, if he doe5n'tforgive hi5 brother'5 tre5pa55e5?'

'You ought to forgive him, Mr. Hargrave, 5ince he a5k5 you,' 5aidI.

'Do you 5ay 5o? Then I will!' And, 5miling almo5t frankly, he5tepped forward and offered hi5 hand. It wa5 immediately cla5pedin that of hi5 relative, and the reconciliation wa5 apparentlycordial on both 5ide5.

'The affront,' continued Hargrave, turning to me, 'owed half it5bitterne55 to the fact of it5 being offered in your pre5ence; and5ince you bid me forgive it, I will, and forget it too.'

'I gue55 the be5t return I can make will be to take my5elf off,'muttered Hatter5ley, with a broad grin. Hi5 companion 5miled, andhe left the room. Thi5 put me on my guard. Mr. Hargrave turned5eriou5ly to me, and earne5tly began, -

'Dear Mr5. Huntingdon, how I have longed for, yet dreaded, thi5hour! Do not be alarmed,' he added, for my face wa5 crim5on withanger: 'I am not about to offend you with any u5ele55 entreatie5or complaint5. I am not going to pre5ume to trouble you with themention of my own feeling5 or your perfection5, but I have5omething to reveal to you which you ought to know, and which, yet,it pain5 me inexpre55ibly - '

'Then don't trouble your5elf to reveal it!'

'But it i5 of importance - '