isit of some days, and this by one of weeks, till at
last it seemed to be understood that the parsonage was to be the home of
Captain Percy while awaiting the exchange which Major Scott had promised
to do all in his power to expedite. His society was at the present time
peculiarly pleasing to Mr. Sinclair, who was diverted from his own sad
thoughts by the varied intelligence of the soldier and traveller in many
lands. Mary Sinclair had been unable to meet her deliverer without a
thrill of emotion which communicated an air of timidity to her manner,
whose usual characteristic was modest self-possession. Captain Percy, at
thirty-five, had outlived the age of sudden and violent passion, but he
had not outlived that of deep feeling. A soldier from boyhood, he had
visited almost every clime, and been familiar with the beauties of
almost every land, yet in this lovely and gentle girl, whom he had
guarded from ill, and whom he now saw in all the pure and tender
associations of her home, blessing and blessed, there was something
which touched his heart more deeply than he liked to acknowledge even to
himself. Again and again when he saw the soft, varying color that arose
to her cheek at his sudden entrance, or heard the voice in which she was
addressing another, sink into a more subdued tone as she spoke to him,
did he take his hat and wander forth, that he might still in solitude
his bosom's triumphant throb, and reason with himself on the folly of
suffering his affections to be enthralled by one from whom, ere another
day passed, he might be separated by orders which would send him
thousands of miles away, and detain him, perhaps, for years.

"If I thought her feelings were really interested," he would say to
himself at other times--"but nonsense--how can I be such a coxcomb--all
she can feel for me is gratitude."

This last sentiment was echoed by Mary Sinclair, who, when
self-convicted of unusual emotion in Captain Percy's presence, ever
repeated, "It is only gratitude."

One evening Mr. Sinclair retired after tea to his study, leaving his
daughter and his guest together. He had not been gone long when a
servant entered with the letters and papers just brought by the
semi-weekly mail, which conveyed to the inhabitants of Havre de Grace
news of the important events then daily transpiring in distant parts of
the country. The only letter was a somewhat bulky one for Captain Percy.
Mary received the papers and commenced readi