wind and weather,
right in the teeth of the world, and some drift like poor little boats,
without compass or rudder, but yet, the generality cast anchor in deep,
clear water at last, and for one wreck, thousands and thousands come in
with all sails set--only Mister Ralph, remember this. The craft that
ales goes steadily and safe, cuts a still wake; but your leaky vessels
makes any amount of whirlpools as they go down. It's only boys,"
continued Ben, taking the tobacco from his mouth, and casting it
indignantly into the fire--"It's only boys as knows nothing, and men as
knows too much, that ever speak in this ere wholesale way about wimmen.
Ralph, you're young, that's all."

"I am distracted, Ben; Heaven knows how gladly I would believe her
blameless, but her manner changed toward me so strangely, she was
evidently premeditating this abandonment; but that she should go
off--and with him, of all men upon earth. Oh! Ben, what man, not a fool,
could persist in his faith, after that."

"I tell you, it wasn't that as driv the gal away. She wanted to know
something as I wouldn't tell her. Something more'en Ben Benson reckoned
on, was in her mind; she got discouraged because he wouldn't tell her."

"If I'd told her, she'd a been here now." Here Ben covered his face with
both hands and cried out, "God forgive me! God forgive me!"

CHAPTER LXVI.

THREATS AND PERSUASIONS.

Directly after James Harrington left the General's room, the
waiting-woman Zillah entered cautiously, and with breathless eagerness.
She stood some moments partly behind the General's chair, before he
regarded her. When he did look up, a faint color swept over his face,
and he made a gesture of annoyance.

"You are not pleased to find me here so soon," she said quickly, for
impatience had for the moment disturbed the wonderful self-control with
which her interviews with General Harrington were invariably conducted.
"Is it a sign this woman, who has outraged the name of wife, is to
triumph over me always?"

"Zillah!" answered the General, angrily, "my relations with my wife are
beyond your interference."

"Your wife!" exclaimed the woman with a fiendish sneer. "You can still
call her that!"

"Zillah, be careful. I have permitted you to go in and out of my house
in this surreptitious fashion unmolested, from regard to old
attachments; but you shall not again interfere in my family
arrangements. The charges that you have, I see now, been the m