before twelve o'clock. He remained long enough, however, to do full
justice to the supper and wines. His handsome and agreeable young
associate, Dr. Angler, a slight acquaintance with whom the reader
has already, prolonged his stay to a later hour.

The Rev. Dr. Elliott was also, among the guests, displaying his fine
social qualities and attracting about him the young and the old.
Everybody liked Dr. Elliott, he was so frank, so cordial, free and
sympathetic, and, withal, so intelligent. He did not bring the
clergyman with him into a gay drawing-room, nor the ascetic to a
feast. He could talk with the banker about finance, with the
merchant about trade, with the student or editor about science,
literature and the current events of the day, and with young men and
maidens about music and the lighter matters in which they happened
to be interested. And, moreover, he could enjoy a good supper and
knew the flavor of good wine. A man of such rare accomplishments
came to be a general favorite, and so you encountered Mr. Elliott at
nearly all the fashionable parties.

Mr. Ridley had met the reverend doctor twice, and had been much
pleased with him. What he had heard him say about the healthy or
rather saving influences of pure wine had taken a strong hold of his
thoughts, and he had often wished for an opportunity to talk with
him about it. On this evening he found that opportunity. Soon after
his arrival at the house of Mr. Birtwell he saw Mr. Elliott in one
of the parlors, and made his way into the little group which had
already gathered around the affable clergyman. Joining in the
conversation, which was upon some topic of the day, Mr. Ridley, who
talked well, was not long in awakening that interest in the mind of
Mr. Elliott which one cultivated and intelligent person naturally