rother, on hearing it from his own lips, said little, yet that
little was not to discourage him; he rather approved than otherwise, but
avoided expressing any very decided opinion on it, one way or the other.

"It's a pity," said he, "that want of common resolution should drive
a man to take an oath; if you had tried your own strength, a little
farther, Art, who knows but you might a' gained a victory without it,
and that would be more creditable and manly than swearin'; still, the
temptation to drink is great to some people, and this prevents all
possibility of fallin' into it."

Art, who, never having dealt in any thing disingenuous himself, was slow
to credit duplicity in others, did not once suspect that the profligates
had played him off this trick, rather to annoy the brother than himself.
It was, after all, nothing but the discreditable triumph of cunning and
debased minds, over the inexperience, or vanity, if you will, of one,
who, whatever his foibles might be, would himself scorn to take an
ungenerous advantage of confidence reposed in him in consequence of his
good opinion and friendly feeling.

The period of their apprenticeship, however, elapsed, and the day at
length arrived for their departure from the Corner House. Their master,
and, we may add, their friend, solicited them to stop with him still as
journeymen; but, as each had a different object in view, they declined
it. Art proposed to set up for himself, for it was indeed but natural
that one whose affections had been now so long engaged, should wish,
with as little delay as possible, to see himself possessed of a home
to which he might bring his betrothed wife. Frank had not trusted to
chance, or relied merely upon vague projects, like his brother; for,
some time previous to the close of his apprenticeship, he had been
quietly negotiating the formation of a partnership with a carpenter who
wanted a steady man at the helm. The man had capital himself, and
was clever enough in his way, but then he was illiterate, and utterly
without method in conducting his affairs; Frank was therefore the
identical description of person he stood in need of, and, as the
integrity of his family was well known--that integrity which they
felt so anxious to preserve without speck--there was of course little
obstruction in the way of their coming to terms.

On the morning of the day on which they left his establishment,
M'Carroll came into the workshop while they were a