deliberate
survey of the fair countenance that blushed beneath his gaze, "Mrs.
Leslie and myself have been conferring upon your temporal welfare. You
have been unfortunate, my child."

"Ah--yes."

"Well, well, you are very young; we must not be too severe upon youth.
You will never do so again?"

"Do what, please you, sir?"

"What! Humph! I mean that you will be more rigid, more circumspect. Men
are deceitful; you must be on your guard against them. You are handsome,
child, very handsome--more's the pity." And the banker took Alice's hand
and pressed it with great unction. Alice looked at him gravely and drew
the hand away instinctively.

The banker lowered his spectacles, and gazed at her without their aid;
his eyes were still fine and expressive. "What is your name?" he asked.

"Alice--Alice Darvil, sir."

"Well, Alice, we have been considering what is best for you. You wish to
earn your own livelihood, and perhaps marry some honest man hereafter."

"Marry, sir--never!" said Alice, with great earnestness, her eyes
filling with tears.

"And why?"

"Because I shall never see _him_ on earth, and they do not marry in
heaven, sir."

The banker was moved, for he was not worse than his neighbours, though
trying to make them believe he was so much better.

"Well, time enough to talk of that; but in the meanwhile you would
support yourself?"

"Yes, sir. His child ought to be a burden to none--nor I either. I once
wished to die, but then who would love my little one? Now I wish to
live."

"But what mode of livelihood would you prefer? Would you go into a
family, in some capacity?--not that of a servant--you are too delicate
for that."

"Oh, no--no!"

"But, again, why?" asked the banker, soothingly, yet surprised.

"Because," said Alice, almost solemnly, "there are some hours when I
feel I must be alone. I sometimes think I am not all right _here_,"
and she touched her forehead. "They called me an idiot before I knew
_him_!--No, I could not live with others, for I can only cry when nobody
but my child is with me."

This was said with such unconscious, and therefore with such pathetic,
simplicity, that the banker was sensibly affected. He rose, stirred the
fire, resettled himself, and, after a pause, said emphatically: "Alice,
I will be your friend. Let me believe you will deserve it."

Alice bent her graceful head, and seeing that he had sunk into an
abstracted silence, she thought it time for her to w