ould not forgive
what he considered a wanton outrage. Marston felt himself deeply
insulted by the note he had received, and maintained that he would
forfeit his self-respect were he to hold any intercourse whatever with
a man who could, on so small a provocation, write such a scandalous
letter. Thus the matter stood; wounded self-esteem on one side, and
insulted self-respect on the other, not only maintaining the breach,
but widening it every day. Mr Wellford used his utmost influence with
his young friends to bend them from their anger, but he argued the
matter in vain. The voice of pride was stronger than the voice of
reason.

Months were suffered to go by, and even years to elapse, and still they
were as strangers. Circumstances threw them constantly together; they
met in places of business; they sat in full view of each other in
church on the holy Sabbath; they mingled in the same social circles;
the friends of one were the friends of the other; but they rarely
looked into each other's face, and never spoke. Did this make them
happier? No! For, "_If ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither
will your heavenly Father forgive your trespasses_." Did they feel
indifferent toward each other? Not by any means! Arnest still dwelt on
and magnified the provocation he had received, but thought that the
expression of his indignation had not been of a character to give as
great offence to Marston as it had done. And Marston, as time passed,
thought more and more lightly of the few jesting words he had spoken,
and considered them less and less provocation for the insulting note he
had received, which he still had, and sometimes turned up and read.

The old friends were forced to think of each other often, for both were
rising in the world, and rising into general esteem and respectability.
The name of the one was often mentioned with approbation in the
presence of the other; and it sometimes happened that they were thrown
together in such a way as to render their position toward each other
really embarrassing: as, for instance, one was called to preside at a
public meeting, and the other chosen secretary. Neither could refuse,
and there had to be an official intercourse between them; it was cold
and formal in the extreme; and neither could see as he looked into the
eyes of the other, a glimmer of the old light of friendship.

Mr. Wellford was present at this meeting, and marked the fact that the
intercourse between Arnest