this he shrank
from the cross, which pledged total abstinence would call upon him to
take up. His engaging manners made him universally popular, and he
shrank from anything that would endanger or diminish that popularity.
He winced under a frown, but he withered under a sneer; still he had
secret misgivings that he should fall, that he should disgrace himself;
that he should forfeit Mary's love for ever if he did not take the
decided step; and more than once he half resolved to make the bold
plunge, and sign the pledge, and come out nobly and show his colours
like a man.

It was while this half resolve was on him that he was one evening
returning home after a day's fishing, Juniper Graves being with him. He
had refused the spirit-flask which his servant held out to him more than
once, alleging disinclination. At last he said,--

"I've been seriously thinking, Juniper, of becoming a total abstainer;
and it would do you a great deal of good if you were to be one too."

The only reply on the part of Juniper was an explosion of laughter,
which seemed as if it would tear him in pieces. One outburst of
merriment followed another, till he was obliged to lean against a tree
for support. Frank became quite angry.

"What _do_ you mean by making such an abominable fool of yourself;" he
cried.

"Oh dear, oh dear," laughed Graves, the tears running over in the
extremity of his real or pretended amusement, "you must pardon me, sir;
indeed, you must. I really couldn't help it; it did put me so in mind
of Jerry Ogden, the Methodist parson. Mr Frank and his servant
Juniper, two whining, methodistical, parsimonious teetotallers! oh dear,
it _was_ rich." And here he relapsed into another explosion.

"Methodist parson! I really don't know what you mean, sir," cried
Frank, beginning to get fairly exasperated. "You seem to me quite to
forget yourself. If you don't know better manners, the sooner you take
yourself off the better."

"Oh, sir, I'm very sorry, but really you must excuse me; it did seem so
very comical. _You_ a total abstainer, Mr Frank, and me a-coming arter
you. I think I sees you a-telling James to put the water on the table,
and then you says, `The water stands with you, Colonel Coleman.'"

"Don't talk so absurdly," said Frank, amused in spite of himself at the
idea of the water-party, with himself for the host. "And what has my
becoming a total abstainer to do with Jerry What-do-you-call-him, the
Met