himself. "Take off your coat," she said; and
he obeyed her, telling her, with a laugh, as he
flung it upon a chair, that there was a small
parcel of soiled linen in the pocket.

"I did not expect to have to stay at Amherst,
so I took no clothes with me," he explained,
"and had to buy a shirt and a pair of
stockings for Sunday, so as not to scandalise
the natives. Rather an odd place to replenish
vardrobe, by-the-by."

Harriet looked sharply at the coat, and, passing
the chair on which it lay on her way to her
own, felt its texture with a furtive touch. Then
she sat down, gave Dallas wine, and once more
fell to examining the bracelet. It might have
occurred to any other man in George's position
that it was rather an odd proceeding on the
part of Mrs. Routh to keep him there at so late
an hour with no apparent purpose, and without
any expressed expectation of Routh's return;
but George seldom troubled himself with reflections
upon anybody's conduct, and invariably
followed Harriet's lead without thinking about
it at all. Recent events had shaken Routh's
influence, and changed the young man's views
and tastes, but Harriet still occupied her former
place in his regard and in his habit of life,
which in such cases as his signifies much.
With a confidential air she now talked to him,
her busy fingers twisting the bracelet as she
spoke, her pale face turned to him, but her eyes
somewhat averted. She told him that Routh
had been surprised and annoyed at his (Dallas)
being so long away from town, and had written
to him, to tell him that he had been so pressed
for money, so worried by duns, and so hampered
by the slow proceedings of the company
connected with the new speculation, that he
had been obliged to go away, and must keep
away, until Dallas could let him have one
hundred and forty pounds. George was concerned
to hear all this, and found it hard to reconcile
with the good spirits in which Routh
had been when he had seen him last; but he
really knew so little of the man's affairs beyond
having a general notion that they were hopelessly
complicated, and subject to volcanic action
of an utterly disconcerting nature, that he regarded
his own surprise as unreasonable, and
forbore to express it.

"It is of the utmost importance to Stewart
to have the money at once," Harriet continued.
"You see that, yourself; he told you all in his
letter."

"Very extraordinary it should have been
lost! Directed to P. O., Amherst, of course?
I wish I had got it, Mrs. Routh; I'd have gone
at once and sold the bracelet before I came to
you at all, and brought the money. But I can
do it early in the morning, can't I? I can take
it to some good jeweller and get cash for it, and
be here by twelve o'clock, so as not to keep
Routh a moment longer than I need in suspense.
Will a hundred and forty square him
for the present, Mrs. Routh? I'm sure to get
more for the bracelet—don't you think so?—
and of course he can have it all, if he wants it."

The young man spoke in an eager tone, and
the woman listened with a swelling heart. Her
full red lip trembled for a passing instant—
consideration for—kindness to the only human
creature she loved touched Harriet as nothing
besides had power to touch her.

"I am sure the bracelet is worth more than
that sum," she said; "it is worth more than
two hundred pounds, I dare say. But you forget,
Mr. Dallas, that you must not be too precipitate
in this matter. It is of immense importance to
Stewart to have this money, but there are precautions
to be taken."

"Precautions, Mrs. Routh! what precautions?
The bracelet's my own, isn't it, and principally
valuable because there's no bother about
selling a thing of the kind?"

She looked at him keenly; she was calculating
to what extent she might manage him, how
far he would implicitly believe her statements,
and rely upon her judgment. His countenance
was eminently reassuring, so she went on:

"Certainly the bracelet is your own, and it
could be easily sold, were you only to consider
yourself, but you have your mother to consider."

"My mother! How? when she has parted
with the bracelet on purpose."

"True," said Harriet; "but perhaps you are
not aware that diamonds, of anything like the
value of these, are as well known, their owners,
buyers, and whereabouts, as blood horses, their
pedigrees, and purchasers. I think it would be
unsafe for you to sell this bracelet in London;
you may be sure the diamonds would be known
by any jeweller on whose respectability you
could sufficiently rely, to sell the jewels to him.
It would be very unpleasant, and of course very
dangerous to your mother, if the diamonds were
known to be those purchased by Mr.Carruthers,
and a cautious jeweller thought proper to ask
him any questions."

George looked grave and troubled, as Harriet
put these objections to his doing as he had
proposed, for the immediate relief of Routh,
clearly before him. He never for a moment
doubted the accuracy of her information, and
the soundness of her fears.

"I understand," he said; "but what can I
do? I must sell the bracelet to get the money,
and sooner or later will make no difference in
the risk you speak of; but it may make all the
difference to Routh. I can't, I won't delay in
this matter; don't ask me, Mrs. Routh. It is very
generous of you to think of my risk, but——"

"It is not your risk," she interrupted him by
saying, "it is your mother's. If it were your
own, I might let you take it, for Stewart's sake"
an indefinable compassion was in the woman's
face, an unwonted softness in her blue eyes—
"but your mother has done and suffered much
for you, and she must be protected, even if
Stewart, has to lie hidden a day or two longer.
You must not do any thing rash. I think I
know what would be the best thing for you to
do."

"Tell me, Mrs Routh," said George, who
highly appreciated the delicate consideration for