way. One evening, at a large party, she was, as usual, anchored by
the side of her lover, and showing off her fondness for him in
rather a ridiculous manner. A young friend and myself, who were
rather amused at this, determined, in a thoughtless moment, that we
would, just for the fun of the thing, run Fisher down in a
confidential undertone to each other, yet loud enough for her to
hear us, if a good opportunity for doing so offered. Before long, we
noticed her sitting alone in a corner near one of the folding-doors.
We managed to get near, yet so as not to appear to notice her, and
then indulged in some light remarks about her lover, mainly to the
effect that if his sweetheart knew him as well as we did, she might
not think him quite so near perfection as she appeared to do.
Shortly afterwards, I searched through the rooms for her in vain.
From that night, the lovers never again met. Clara refused to see
Fisher when he called on her the next day, and shortly afterwards
requested him, in writing, to release her from her
marriage-contract, without giving any reason for her change of
mind."

"Henry," exclaimed Mrs. Mears, her voice and countenance expressing
the painful surprise she felt, "why did you not immediately repair
the wrong you had done?"

"How could I, without exposing myself, and causing perhaps a serious
collision between me and Fisher?"

"You should have braved every consequence," replied Mrs. Mears,
firmly, "rather than permitted two loving hearts to remain severed,
when a word from you would have reunited them. How could you have
hesitated a moment as to what was right to do? But it may not be too