inward conviction of my right course wavers, nor that my decision falters, yet I feel now, for the first time, that there is much in you: upon which I have never set a due value; and the reason is, that these things are not very well suited to my own nature and character; and sympathies that have to be created or assumed by habit and time, can never have the same genuine effect upon a man like you, as those sympathies which are spontaneous, and immediate." (She here took Archer and Ellen each by the hand.) "But what I think of you in feeling and refinement, I cannot better prove than putting into your charge the treasured feeling of a pure and devoted heart,' As she said these words, she joined their hands, and retired a few paces behind Archer.

Their hands trembled violently Ellen turned her face upwards towards Archer, and the look with which he was bending over her, caused her to rise up, so that her head fell upon his breast, down which her golden hair fell in a stream, as he folded his arms round her.

Archer turned towards Mary, but she had left the room, and the door was closed.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

MR. WALTON IN PRISON.MESSRS. SHORT AND BAINTON, AND THE CREDITORS. -DEATH OF ARCHER'S UNCLE. AN ASSOCIATED HOME. ARCHER'S HESITATIONS AND ANXIETIES.

In a narrow room, very imperfectly, not to say sadly lighted, by a small window, thickly coated with dust, and having an iron grating outside, sat Mr. Walton, in a meditating attitude. He took out his handkerchief, and applied it to his eyes. He returned it slowly to his pocket, and then fixed his gaze upon a newspaper, which was lying at his feet. The portion of the paper usually devoted to dissolutions of partnership-bankruptcies—the insolvent debtors' court, and dreary news of that kind, chanced to lie uppermost; and it might have been supposed that he was meditating upon these things. But it so happened that this paper also contained accounts of fresh atrocities practised by Austria, in Italy, and Mr. Walton presently relieved his troubled breast by a soliloquy to an imaginary dungeon and chain in Venice.

Just as the order arrived for him to be shot, after undergoing

the torture of his beard being pulled out by a hair at a time, Mary entered, and seating herself by his side, informed him that his captivity would soon be terminated, as Messrs. Short and Bainton had arrived, and called a meeting of the creditors.

This meeting of creditors shortly took place. They behaved very well, on the whole, nor would there have been any disturbance or difficulty had all the statements and explanations been left to Mr. Bainton, as was originally intended; but Mr. Short would rush in with an oratorical display of his doings in Scotland, and his narrow escape in Galway, which created much discussion, and some dissension. At this point, Mr. Walton unfortunately advanced "to the rescue,"and then out came the whole affair of Titus Andronicus. A scene of some confusion ensued. The squanderings of money in absurdities-wild schemes-and imprudences, were severely handled; the failure, however, of Messrs. Bray and Toller, every one was obliged to regard as a general misfortune, and the creditors"-kindly overlooking some things, and being considerate on other points came to the resolution that they would be content with taking every farthing the insolvents possessed.

Not many weeks after this, fortune smiled upon Mr. Bainton, who was re-instated in his building-yard by several merchants, two of whom frequented the same chapel. Equally fortunate was Mr. Short, who suddenly found himself elected as agent of a Mining Company, in France, at a high salary. This position made him immediately resolve upon a 66 move he had contemplated ever since his rejection by Mary, chiefly because it was an excellent move in itself, and also because it carried with it a considerable amount of vengeance. It was that of making an offer of marriage to her aunt. He did so. It was declined-but with an air which

betrayed a secret gratification, and gave every hope.

About this time Archer received intelligence of the death of his uncle. With it came a brief notification that the will had been opened, in which his name was never mentioned. His uncle's property had been left to some distant relations in Canada, who had behaved very ill to Archer.

Meantime, Mary had used her best energies to cheer her father, under his ruined circumstances ruined also, as they were, in prospective hopes; for the wealthy Miss Judith did actually confer the honour of her hand upon Mr. Short, with whom she immediately departed for the Continent. With equal activity Mary speedily reduced to practice the original project of Associated Homes,

which had failed from having been commenced upon a large building scale, instead of a boarding scheme.

Mary commenced with one large house, which had four rooms on each floor. She had previously communicated her project to several friends, who cordially agreed to co-operate in her undertaking, and the house was at once occupied by Mary and her father, on the ground floor; Karl Kohl and Mrs. Kohl, in the floor above them; Mr. Bainton and a friend, in the floor above that; and there was a proposal on the part of Mr. John Downs and his wife, to take the next floor above them, the attics being occupied by the servants. To the admission of Mr. Downs there was some difference of opinion. Mary feared he might be troublesome; Mr. Walton said he would be intolerable; and Mr. Bainton's friend said he would be sure to " set them all together by the ears." Mr. Karl Kohl thought it would not be so; and Mr. Bainton gave it as his decided opinion that Mr. Downs would behave very well, provided his wife were with him. "Ha! ha!

shrewdly observed Mr. Walton, “I see- -I see no doubt some terrific tartar of a woman. His spirit of opposition has no chance with her. But what shall we do with such a woman in the house?"

The Associated Home commenced, and worked admirably; the expenses of each family being, by this means, reduced to less than one half they would have amounted to, had the parties taken similar rooms in different houses. It worked well also, as to cordiality, notwithstanding that Mr. John Downs was domiciled on the third floor. His wife was a little woman, with fair hair, a sweet low voice, and a gentle dove-like manner. She agreed to everything he said; but she always had her way, while he fancied he had his, and they were both happy.

It was not long before Mary had a conversation with Mr. Bainton, as to the possibility of founding an Institute, which should actually be for mechanics and artizans. Mr. Bainton

shook his head. Mary explained that she meant no magnificent building no regular establishment, with all its expensive arrangements and appointments necessarily corresponding with it—but a building, or large hall, bare and dreary as the fortunes of those who were invited to assemble there, to attend lectures, or for mutual improvement, by social conversation and beneficial amusements. Mr. Bainton, after a pause, again shook his head, but by no means so hopelessly as at first. He said he knew of a capital

building, or rather position for one, for it was all in ruins. He did not see how it could be managed; and thus the conversation ended for the present.

But let us take a glance at the farm-house in Wales, where Archer was residing. At times he was perfectly happy, because he was continually in the society of Ellen Lloyd, with whom he totally forgot his circumstances; he forgot the past, and finding an elysium in the present, his imagination scarcely wandered into the future. When he was alone, and reviewed his day, he did not sophisticate himself with the pompous popular philosophy, which contemns all enjoyment of the present, and, by way of being perfectly inconsistent with itself and its devotion to the practical, asserts that there is nothing so excellent and noble as the dream of the past and the dream of the future. But what Archer could not reconcile with himself, was the melancholy fact that he was not in a fair and reasonable position to enjoy the present, while his future was so very precarious. For Ellen Lloyd he entertained a devoted affection; but this very feeling made him hesitate, and delay their union. Since her sister's marriage she had barely sufficient for her own maintenance; and ought he to involve her in his difficult circumstances, which were likely to become worse and worse,-unless, indeed, his philosophical novel redeemed them.

CONCLUSION.

AND

FATE OF THE THREE WISE MEN -AN AUTHOR'S GOOD ANGEL-ADDRESS TO ARTIZANS BY A WORKING MAN-ARCHER AND HARDING-MARY ELLEN THE INSTITUTE AND THE ORGAN THE IDEAL, AND THE PRACTICAL.

and *.

"MESSRS. present their compliments to Mr. Archer, and beg to inform him that the way in which they do business is to publish works on commission, the author paying all expenses of print, paper, advertisements, &c." Another: "Messrs. Harridge and Fenn would be happy to be informed if the author of the Three Wise Men' intends publishing his work on his own account, or by private subscription; if the latter, would be glad to be favoured with a sight of the names intended to stand at the head of the list." Another : "Messrs. *.

and Son return their best thanks to Mr. Edward Archer for his obliging offer of his philosophical novel entitled the Three Wise

Men,' the manuscript of which they have diligently perused with much pleasure, and regret to say they are compelled to decline its publication." Another: "Messrs. Tooley and Grim beg to return the romance of the Three Wise Men,' with many thanks, the publication of which, their literary friend recommends them not to undertake; though he was of opinion that if the author would sufficiently modify the three principal characters, so that they should be recognised as three well-known living persons in fashionable or public life, the work might perhaps be made to take rank with some of the most successful novels of the

There were several others, concluding with the publication of which they beg to decline." The last one was not very intelligible, at a first reading :-" Sir, we have placed your work entitled Discoveries in Science' in the hands of a gentleman eminent for his scientific knowledge, who is of opinion that your book is one of great intrinsic value, but that the sale would be extremely limited. The expenses for diagrams and tables of calculations would be very considerable. Under these circumstances you will perceive that we cannot undertake the publication except at the author's cost, &c." Two notes placed in the wrong envelopes, readily presented the solution of this puzzle, the note intended for Archer having no doubt been transmitted to the equally unfortunate devotee of science.

Some

"These letters and notes,' murmured Archer, in reverie, "display the first fruits of my assiduous labours-my study and thought, my earnest toils, and pains, and exultations through the day and night, my aspirations and my hopes, my expectations and anxieties. Fruits, did I call them? say rather, the first blights which almost invariably fall upon the literary tree, ere the season arrive when the sun and the earth, the rains and the winds, are likely to become propitious,-if that period ever arrive. crude youths rush out at once, bare-headed, into the public air, and a fortunate sun bursts down upon them; others come forth, armed in proof, after long watchings, and find nothing but clouds over-head, and a dead-wall in front. In these cases, what is left to those who have something within them worth suffering for, but fortitude and patient endurance? Meantime, what becomes of the human being-his real life-his domestic relations or position? What becomes of personal happiness? Nothing lies before his actual path but chagrin, anguish, and all the mean