rget the idle wranglings of
the hour, and compose our minds to the great subjects which agitate
eternity. One of those insects which infest ancient church edifices has
been hovering about Captain Keeler's mouth. It has been drawn in. It has
disappeared. Such are we, hovering on the vortex of eternity. How calm
and undisturbed the old captain's face! how utterly unconscious of the
tragedy just enacted! So eternity swallows us and leaves no trace behind,
and no ripple marks its surface. How infer--how more than odd the old
captain looks, anyway! I say, she ought to have touched up his eyebrows a
little, you know, while she was at the nefarious business, Miss
Hungerford."

"Yes," I answered, listening deliberately.

"Do you suppose that the time will ever come when she to whom I once gave
the love of my young heart, and all that sort of thing, you know, will
take me in hand, and dye my hair, and rig me up, and make such an
infernal-looking old guy of me?"

"I don't see how you can escape," I said. "But you won't care so much,
then."

"No, that's true." Mr. Rollin sighed deeply "I shall be old, then;--

'When I am old, I shall not care
To deck with flowers my faded hair.'"

The idea of Mr. Rollin decking his hair with flowers was a specially
entertaining one to me.

Presently, he continued:--

"To descend for a moment to secular subjects--I've got my own horses here
now, Miss Hungerford. I had my man Bob bring them down from Providence.
They got here last night, and they're a pair of spankers, too, if I do
say it that shouldn't, as the phrase is. That was one of the inducements
which led me to follow your--to follow Captain Keeler's example in coming
to church this morning. And now I have a calm, serious, and reasonable
proposal to make. No doubt we are both familiar with the small
conventionalities of life, but on such a day as this, and with such a
glorious air outside, and such a unique framework of society--everything
delightfully pagan--scruples worthy only of small consideration at any
time should be thrown aside. I don't know what perils you encountered
on your way to church this morning, in the canvas-covered vehicle. But,
if you will drive back to Wallencamp with me, I promise to take you there
fleetly and safely, and you may have the consciousness, besides, if you
care for it, that you have made the day one of spiritual reclamation to
an erring fellow-creature."

[Illustration: VISITORS' DAY AT