riety. With the end of autumn came Winthrop's admission
to the bar.

And Winnie drew a mental long breath. Winthrop was a lawyer
himself, and no longer in a lawyer's office. Winthrop had an
office of his own. The bark was shoved from the shore, with
her sails set; and Winnie, no more than her brother, doubted
not that the gales of prosperity would soon fill them. Rufus
was greatly amused with her.

"_You_ think it's a great thing to be a lawyer, don't you?" said
he one night.

"I think it's a great thing to be such a lawyer as Governor
will be," said Winnie.

At which Rufus laughed prodigiously.

"_I_ think it's a great thing to be such a governor as this
lawyer will be," he said when he had recovered himself.
"Nothing less, Governor! You have your title beforehand."

"'Once a judge always a judge,'" said Winthrop. "I am afraid
if you reverse the terms, so you will the conclusion."

"Terms!" said Rufus. "You will be governor of this state, and
I shall be your financial secretary -- on any terms you please.
By the way -- what keeps you from Haye's now-a-days? Not this
girl?"

"No," said Winthrop.

It was that same 'no' over again. Winnie knew it, and her
heart throbbed.

"What then? I haven't seen you there since I've been in town."

"How often are you there yourself?"

"O! -- every evening almost. What keeps you?"

"Duty --" said Winthrop.

"But what sort of duty! What on earth can hinder your coming
there as you used to do, to spend a rational hour now and
then?"

"My dear sir, it is enough for any man to know his own duty;
it is not always possible for him to know that of another
man."

"And therefore I ask you!" said Rufus.

"What?"

"Why! -- what's your reason for keeping away."

"In brief -- my engagements."

"You've nothing to do with briefs yet," said Rufus; "have the
goodness to enlarge a little. You've not been more busy lately
than you were a while ago."

"Yes I have."

"Yes, I suppose you have," -- said Rufus meditatively. "But not
so much more as to make that a reason?"

"If my reasons were not only 'as plenty' but as precious, as
blackberries," said his brother, "you could not shew more
eagerness for them."

"I am afraid the blackberries would be the more savoury," said
Rufus laughing a little. "But you didn't use to make such a
hermit of yourself, Winthrop."

"I don't intend to be a hermit always. But as I told you, duty
and inclination have combined to make me one l