"Five guineas!" exclaimed Miss Haviland, starting to her feet, with a
countenance eloquent with scorn and contempt--"five guineas, and at a
pinch, ten! What a singular fountain must that be, from which such a
thought, at such a time, could have flowed! Had it been one of those
favorite horses, it would have sounded well enough, perhaps, though I
think he would have offered more. It is well, however, that I now know
the price at which I am estimated," she added, bitterly.

"It _does_ sound rather strangely, now you have named it," responded
Miss McRea, abashed at the unexpected construction put on what she had
communicated, and mortified and half vexed, that every attempt she had
made to remove her friend's difficulties only made the matter worse:
"it sounds oddly, to be sure, but I presume he did not mean any thing."

"O, no, I dare say; nor did he do any thing, as I can learn, through
the whole affair, except attempt to deprive Woodburn of the credit he
had gained. Jane," she continued, with softened tone, "what would you
have thought, had you been in my situation, and your lover had acted
such a part?"

"I should have thought--I don't know what I should have thought,"
replied the other, with a feeling which showed how quickly the appeal
had taken effect. "But I should have had no occasion to have any
thought about it; for I _know_ he would have been the one to save me,
or die with me. O, I wish Mr. Jones had come on with us, for had he
been there, so good and so brave as he is, I am sure even you need not
have become so deeply indebted to this low young fellow."

"Low, Jane, low?" said the former, reprovingly. "Was it low to
overlook so easily the injury and affront he had received from Peters,