d life yield
me any recompense that would make amends for a sacrifice so
unnecessary."

"You love him, then, very dearly, Paula?"

A sudden light fell on the young girl's face. "Hearts cannot tell their
love," said she, "but since I received this letter from him, it has
seemed as if my life hung balancing on the question, as to whether he is
worthy of a woman's homage. If he is not, I would give my life to have
him so. The world is only dear to me now as it holds him."

Miss Belinda picked up Mr. Ensign's letter with trembling fingers. "I
thought you were safe when the younger man came to woo," said she.
"Girls, as a rule, prefer what is bright to what is sombre, and Mr.
Ensign is truly a very agreeable as well as worthy young man."

"Yes, aunt, and he came very near stealing my heart as he undoubtedly
did my fancy, but a stronger hand snatched it away, and now I do not
know what to do or how to act, so as to awaken in the future no remorse
or vain regrets."

Miss Belinda opened the letters again and consulted their contents in a
matter-of-fact way. "Mr. Ensign proposes to come this afternoon for his
answer, while Mr. Sylvester defers seeing you till evening. What if I
seek Mr. Sylvester this morning and have a little conversation with him,
which shall determine, for once and all, the question which so troubles
us? Would you not find it easier to meet Mr. Ensign when he comes?"

"You talk to Mr. Sylvester, and upon such a topic! Oh, I could not bear
that. Pardon me, aunt, but I think I am more jealous of his feelings
than of my own. If his secret can be learned in a half-hour's talk, it
must be listened to by no one but myself. And I believe it can," she
murmured reverently; "he is so tender of me he would never let me go
blindfold into any path, concerning which I had once expressed anxiety.
If I ask him whether there is any good reason before God or man why I
should not give him my entire faith and homage, he will answer honestly,
though it be the destruction of his hopes to do so?"

"Have you such trust as that in his uprightness as a lover, and the
guardian of your happiness?"

"Have not you, aunt?"

And Miss Belinda remembering his words on the occasion of his first
proposal to adopt Paula, was forced to acknowledge that she had.

So without further preliminaries, it was agreed upon that Paula should
refrain from making a final decision until she had eased her heart by an
interview with Mr. Sylvester.