forbidden glances
in this very room, and whom she has permitted to approach her, slowly
but surely, as the serpent stole upon Eve in Eden, until she has fallen
completely into his power, losing honor, self-respect, everything that a
true wife most values, and probably supporting the wretch in a course of
gambling and dissipation, with money wrung on one pitiable pretext or
other from the grudging hand of her betrayed husband.

It is enough!--let the curtain fall. But oh, heart of man, put up the
prayer that other and holier lips once uttered: "Lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from evil!" And may not the _houses_ indeed
come into judgment?

We have no concern whatever with the pleasant small-talk which floated
over the little table at Taylor's, from the lips of Tom Leslie and his
two female companions; nor is there any need to pause at this juncture
and remark whether the strange glance of Josephine Harris on being
introduced to the young man on the street, was repeated or returned. The
trio seemed to be a very happy one, Miss Bell Crawford a little starched
at first towards a man who had been flung into her way so ambiguously,
but rattle-pated Joe firing off occasional fusillades of odd sayings,
and Tom, the prince of _preux chevaliers_, falling into the position of
an old acquaintance with marvellous rapidity. Their lunch was nearly
over, when the mischievous face of Joe, who had been making running
comments upon some of the people on the other side of the room,
good-naturedly wicked if not complimentary--lit up with a conceit which
set her hazel-gray eyes laughing away down to the depths of her brain.
At the same moment the quick eyes of Bell Crawford saw that the hand of
the merry girl was rummaging in her pocket, and _her_ face became
anxious. Before the latter could speak, however, the hand of Joe came
out with the treasure she had been seeking--a torn half column, or less,
of the _Herald_. The moment Miss Crawford saw the slip, her anxiety
seemed to be redoubled, and she reached over to Joe, as if to take the
paper, with the words, half-pleading, half-pettish:

"Don't, Joe--pray don't!"

"Oh, but I must!" said the mischievous girl, taking care that her
companion should not reach the slip. "I cannot think of throwing away
such an excellent opportunity. I say, Mr. Leslie, you are not an
unscrupulous destroyer of female innocence--one of those dreadful
fellows we read about in the books, are you?"

"