ke himself, filled
the half-sheet.

"Dear Darsie,--I hope you will accept the enclosed trifle which has been
made for you, from my own design. You will understand its meaning! I
am more than ever in need of pulling up! Don't fail a fellow, Darsie!

"Yours,--

"Ralph B. Percival."

Inside the box lay a small but beautifully modelled anchor brooch, with
a fine golden rope twined round the stock. Darsie looked at it with the
same mingling of joy and pain which seemed inseparable from each stage
of her friendship with this attractive but irresponsible young man.

It was just like Ralph to have thought of this pretty and graceful way
of expressing his sentiments, and it was not in girl nature to resist a
glow of gratified vanity; but as she turned the golden anchor in her
hands and realised the significance of the symbol, an old impatience
stirred in Darsie's heart. A man who trusted to another for anchorage
in life, and who was ever in danger of breaking loose and drifting on to
the rocks, was not the strong knight of a young girl's dreams. There
were moments when the protecting tenderness which had prompted the last
year's efforts gave place to sudden intolerance and resentment.

Inspired by Mrs Reeves's words in her first term at college, Darsie had
set gallantly to the task of influencing Ralph Percival for good, and
preventing his further deterioration. At first it had appeared a
forlorn hope; and she would have despaired many a time if it had not
been for the encouragement which she received from Mrs Reeves and her
"curate," Margaret France. Then gradually and surely her influence had
begun to make itself felt. It could not truthfully be said that she had
so inspired Ralph that he had turned over a new leaf, and abandoned bad
practices from a desire for the right itself. If the truth must be
told, desire for his pretty mentor's approbation and praise had been a
far stronger factor in the improvement which seemed to have been
effected.

Ralph was emotional, and as his interest in Darsie deepened into the
sentimental attachment which seemed a natural development of their
intimacy, he grew increasingly anxious to stand well in her estimation.
During the May term there had been teas in the college gardens,
breakfast parties at the Orchard, picnics on the river, which had
afforded opportunities of _tete-a-tete_ conversations when, amidst the
flowers and the sunshine, it had been quite an agreeable sensati