that morning, he was met at the foot of the stairs by Madame Mont Martre, in tears, who placed in his hands the following note: "MY DEAR NIECE,-I meet Captain Chartiers this morning at six o'clock. Should I not return by eight, you will find important documents under my pillow. Count de La Garat will deliver to you my keys. "Affectionately your uncle, "PERRAULT." This note had been put under the door of the sleeping apartment of Mademoiselle de La Flavette, the niece of Colonel Perrault, who, upon discovering it, flew with it to the Countess, begging her to await the appearance of Charles, and to conjure his interposition. As Madame Mont Martre presented the note, she said: "My brother, fly to Colonel Perrault, fall upon your knees before him, and beg him, for the sake of his poor niece, an exile in a strange land, to abandon his intention and save his life. Conjure him to sacrifice a false idea of honor to a true sense of moral duty." Preston hastened to the adjacent stables, where the horses belonging to the inmates of Madame Druilliard's boarding-house were quartered. As he hurriedly mounted his fine black steed, the groom asked: "Do you intend to join the gentlemen that have gone out to exchange shots?" "I do," replied Charles. them?" "Can you tell me where to find "I think you will find them on the peninsula over there, in the little meadow right on the p'int. That is a very good place for sich a business, and they rode off in that direction; besides, last evening, when I went down there to the meadow to look after my brown mare and colt, I saw two of the gentlemen (the seconds, I reckon,) a spying over the ground. So I expect that's the place." Charles turned his horse in the direction pointed out by the hostler, and spurred onward at his utmost speed. He reached the scene of the combat just in time to prevent bloodshed, as the reader has seen. The ladies did not appear at the breakfast table. Madame Druillard presided at the head of the table with her usual grace, but not with her usual piquant loquacity. There was but little conversation at the table, until the hostess turned to Charles and said: "Why so silent, Monsieur Preston? I fear some misfortune has befallen our friend, the Captain Chartiers?" "No, Madame,” replied Charles, "Captain Chartiers is quite safe; but a serious misfortune has befallen my poor Ypsilanti. I was thinking only of this." "That was a fine charger," said Colonel Perrault. "His death has averted a greater misfortune. Had I only known before that Captain Chartiers was a ; but never mind—you understand me. Enough, we will say no more about it." Mr. Preston was at his post at the bank at the usual hour of business. Mr. Wilson did not make his appearance at the bank that day. As Preston returned to his boarding-house that evening, without having seen him or having heard from him, he felt considerable uneasiness. Upon entering the boarding house, he was met by the Countess with a cheerful smile, as she said: "I knew you could prevent it. How thankful I am to you. You Americans are always so fruitful in resources and expedients. Mademoiselle Flavette is also very thankful to you. She does not know in what manner to make her expressions of gratitude most acceptable to you. Poor young lady! Just think how delicate would have been her situation had her uncle met with misfortune." "I," said Charles, "am entitled to no thanks from you, nor gratitude from the young lady, inasmuch as I have only performed an imperative duty, which creates no obligation in any direction." Colonel Perrault entered, and interrupted the conversation, and, extending his hand to Charles, said: "Captain Chartiers has anticipated my good intentions, and has sent to you, with his compliments and assurances of his fraternal regard, a fine bay thorough-bred English stud. At his request I have consented to become the medium of this courtesy, and to present him in his name, with the request that you call him Bay Chartiers. I think the animal is the finest five-year-old I ever saw.” Certainly," said Preston, "the Captain surprises me by his generous courtesy; and, as I was left without a horse this morning, or, rather, as I was unexpectedly unhorsed, I will with great satisfaction accept Captain Chartiers' compliment, although I count nothing on the pecuniary loss of Ypsilanti." "Mr. Preston," said Colonel Perrault, "do you suppose I can be outdone in gratitude and courtesy by Captain Chartiers? I went out this afternoon and purchased the finest saddle horse in BaltiI have named him Gray Perrault. I beg you to accept this more. fine animal as a memento of my gratitude, and of the deep obligation I owe you as a friend and brother." “Pardon me, my dear Colonel," said Preston, " certainly I can have no use for more than one horse, and-" “Pardon me, Mr. Preston," interrupted the Colonel, "but permit me to assure you that you will offend me by the acceptance of the compliment of Captain Chartiers and by declining mine." "Colonel Perrault," replied Charles, "I accept your generous gratuity with a pleasure equal to, if not superior to that which I have acknowledged in the acceptance of the like delicate and generous consideration on the part of Captain Chartiers." The next morning Charles repaired to the bank an hour before the usual business hour. Mr. Wilson had been confined to his house since the departure of Mrs. Ramsdale and his daughter. He had daily received documents from the bank for his approval and signature, which were sent to him at his residence, for those purposes, by Charles. Preston had been but a few minutes at his desk in the bank, when a servant entered and presented a note from Mr. Wilson, requesting his presence at his house at his earliest convenience. Without delay he repaired to the mansion of the banker. He was shown into the library, where he found the millionaire in an easy-chair. He appeared pale and care-worn. He arose, upon the entrance of the clerk, and extended his hand with a cordial smile, and requested him to be seated. After Charles was seated, the fol lowing dialogue ensued: "I have sent for you, Mr. Preston." "You have come." "Yes, sir." "I have something to impart to you." "Yes, sir." "I find myself in a delicate position." "Indeed, sir! Can I aid you in any respect? "I cannot perceive, exactly, how you can aid me; but you can relieve me from an unpleasant embarrassment." Certainly it will give me great pleasure to do so. In what manner can I do it?" "By according to me your pardon." "My pardon! Pray, for what?" Among the documents brought to me from the bank yesterday by Twinkle, this one was brought, without your intention, I VOL. III.-NO. I.—2. am quite sure; for Twinkle told me that when he took the file which you directed him to bring, this paper lay under it, and he, supposing it belonged to the parcel, although separate from it, brought it also. I ought to have returned it without having read it, but I regret to acknowledge, sir, that, seeing it addressed to the Baltimorean in your handwriting, I did read it." "Pray, Mr. Wilson, what is the paper?" "Look at it," said the banker, and placed the paper in his hands. Mr. Preston opened the paper, and, blushing with confusion, let it fall to the floor as his eyes met its contents. "May I hope, Mr. Preston, that you will forgive me for this impropriety?" "Mr. Wilson, I regret exceedingly that you have made the discovery that this paper discloses, for I had intended that these political articles should ever remain a secret between the publisher of the Baltimorean and the author of the articles. As you have, without any fault on your part, or any mismanagement on mine, made this discovery, I trust you will not expose me to others." "Mr. Preston, am I, then, to understand that you are the author of all those able political papers which have become texts for the ablest statesmen and most distinguished jurists of the age, of which this paper is one?" "I cannot deny what is, in fact, true. While I may regret the discovery, through the inadvertency of Twinkle, I can attach no blame to you for reading such papers as were put in your hands for examination." Mr. Wilson sat nearly a minute contemplating the young clerk. At last he said: "Mr. Preston, you are a study to me. This discovery, more than all else, surprises me. I was not prepared for it. I can now very well understand why you have an aversion to fiscal pursuits. Well, indeed, may men like you say they have no time to waste after the acquirement of money, and leave it for weaker minds and more selfish men to roll up their millions in useless gold. But how find time to write those elaborate articles?" do you "Early in my life I was taught that idleness was a great encouragement to vice, and that constant employment was almost necessary to the establishment of moral habits of thought. I have made it a point to keep my mind employed. When the body is tired with labor, there is not much danger of indulgence in immoral excesses, and refreshing sleep is sure to visit the eyelids. "I resolved to have no idle hours. I have found none. How bad I may have been had I been an idler, I cannot say. In pursuing my resolution I have not had time, so far, to indulge in pleasures which may have led me into vicious habits. I have prosecuted several studies which I have found of great value to me, besides performing my daily labor. I have allotted eighteen hours out of the twenty-four, of each day, for these purposes, leaving six hours for sleep, which, with my healthy constitution and physical powers of endurance, I have found sufficient; but it leaves no time for idleness." "Indeed!" said the millionaire, thoughtfully, and continued: "This, then, is life. The indolent drone of the social family floats easily and lazily along the current of life, ignorant of the struggles, the self-denial and the sufferings of those by whose efforts society is held together and pushed along in its progressions. How easy for the one! How difficult for the other! The name of the one, at most, lies but a day on the breath of the multitude; the spirit and genius of the other lies forever in his deeds, and in his contributions to the store-house of knowledge by his ordeals and his sufferings. "The rewards of wealth and luxury, as a general rule, are idleness and ignorance; the recompense of industry and enterprise is knowledge, usefulness and happiness." "Not always happiness, necessarily," replied Charles, "for that depends, sometimes, upon events that neither grow out of industry, enterprise and good habits, nor are in any manner connected with either of them." "To what particular events do you allude, Mr. Preston?" "Not to any particularly, but I mention the fact as a general philosophical proposition." "Sometimes, Mr. Preston, we do not properly understand our own peculiar circumstances, and, owing to our misunderstanding, do not avail ourselves of the means of happiness that we might command had we a true knowledge of our circumstances. Afterwards we are apt to attribute our unhappiness to a misfortune that did not exist, or that we might have averted had we earlier known what we learn too late to subserve the ends of our happiness." "I confess, Mr. Wilson, that I do not understand you. I beg you to explain or illustrate your proposition." "An individual of your age may be so sensitive to the clearness of some fair young lady as to make a conjugal relation with her essential to his happiness. Owing, perhaps, to social circumstances and position, or some other fancied obstacle to such a relation, he |