"There is, at least, an appearance of truth about this letter," Florence at length said.

Mrs. Hartley compressed her lips and shook her head, but did not speak.

"I am afraid, Anna, that you sometimes suffer your prejudices to obscure the otherwise clear perceptions of your mind. We are all liable to err, Anna."

"True. But if a woman's heart is in the right place -that is, has a love for all that is innocent and virtuous, and a deep abhorrence of everything opposite to these, she will not be very liable to form an erroneous judgment of any man who approaches her, no matter how many semblances of virtue he may put on. As for me, I do not pretend to have very acute perceptions, but from William Archer, you well know, I always shrunk with instinctive dislike."

"That arose, no doubt, from the estimate common report had caused you to form of his character."

"And are you prepared to doubt common report on this head?"

"Somewhat, I must confess. You have heard his solemn denial?"

"Florence! I should think you had seen proofs enough. But, if not satisfied, a half hour's conversation with my mother will convince you that the writer of the letter you hold in your hand is quite as base as you had been led to believe him."

No reply was made. Florence folded the letter, and returned it to her pocket, with a deep sigh, breathed forth unconsciously.

Mrs. Hartley was deeply pained at observing this chango

in the mind of her young friend. But she said no more, trusting that the momentary weakness to which she was yielding would pass away, after conversing with her mother, who knew much more about Arthur than the daughter wished to utter, or we to record.

CHAPTER III.-A SLIGHT MISUNDERSTANDING.

AFTER the conversation between Mrs Hartley and Florence had taken a new direction, the subject of going to housekeeping was introduced. Like Mrs Riston, Florence was in favour of the large house in Walnut Street, and urged Anna very strongly to change her mind, and let her husband take it.

S

"He is able enough," she said.

"Are you right sure?"

"He ought to be. Isn't he in the firm of R

"As a junior partner only."

"He wished to take the house, you say?"

"At first he did."

"He ought to know better than any one else whether he could afford to do so or not."

"True. But he now thinks with me that it will be wiser for us to commence housekeeping in a style less imposing."

"I must say," returned Florence," that Mr Hartley would have found very few women to object as you have

F

done to a large and elegant house. I am sure the temptation would have been too much for me."

"If you had clearly seen that it was neither wise nor prudent to do so?"

"That might have altered the case. But I think few but yourself would have stopped to consider about wisdom and prudence."

"To their sorrow in the end, perhaps. I for one would much rather take an humble position in society, and rise, if good fortune attend me, gradually; than, after taking a high position, be, in a few years, thrust down."

"If there be danger of that, your course was doubtless best. But why should you apprehend any such

disaster?"

"I do not apprehend evil; I only act, as I think, wisely. My husband is a young man who has been in business only for a few years. There are now but two of us, and we do not need a very large house. For both of these reasons it is plain to my mind that we ought to take our place in society without ostentation or lavish expenditure. It is barely possible that my husband may not find all his business expectations realized. I do not know what his prospects are, for I am in no way conversant with them. I only know that he had no capital of his own when he was taken into business. That he has told me. Now, if he should be very successful, it will be easy for us to go up higher in a few years. If not, and we had come out in costly style, it would be a hard trial and a mortifying one to come down."

"Your good sense is always guiding you aright,"

Florence could not help saying. "It is best, no doubt, that you should do as you have proposed; but there is not one in a hundred who would have exercised your prudent forethought; I am sure I could not have done it."

A few days after this, Hartley and his wife decided to take the house in R- Street. Then came the work of furnishing it. And here the prudent forethought of Anna was again seen. Her husband proposed to give

up the whole business to a good cabinet-maker and an upholsterer, who should use their judgment and experience in such matters.

"As neither you nor I know much about these things, it will save us a world of trouble,” he said.

Anna shook her head and smiled at this remark.

A shadow instantly flitted over the brow of Hartley. It disappeared as quickly as it came, but Anna saw it. The smile vanished from her lips, and her eyes filled with tears. She felt, that, because she did not see in all things just as he did, he was annoyed.

"Am I self-willed? Do I differ with my husband from caprice?" were the self-examining questions of the young wife.

Hartley read her thoughts, and said quickly, in a voice of affection

"You ought to know more about all these matters than I do, Anna; so you shall decide what is best to do." "I wish to decide nothing, James. I only wish to see and decide with you in every thing. You don't know how much it pains me to differ: but ought I to yield passively to what you suggest, if my own judgment does

not approve? Ought we not to see eye to eye in all things?"

"We ought, certainly. But I have been so long in the habit of consulting my own judgment about everything, that I am, thus early in our married life, forgetting that now there are two of us to decide questions of mutual interest. I thank you for so gently bringing this to my mind, and for doing so in the very outset. Without thinking whether it would meet your views or not to become the mistress of a very elegant house, I decided to rent and fit up an establishment that I already see would have afforded more trouble than comfort. Your wise objections prevented the occurrence of that evil. Again I have decided to fit up the house we have taken in a certain way, and so decided without consulting you about it. Here is my second error, and you have, like a true wife, in the gentlest possible way, given me to sec that I was wrong. I thank you for these two lessons, that had much better be given now than at some future time."

Hartley bent down and kissed the flushed cheek of his beautiful wife as he said this.

"And now, dear," he continued, "speak out freely all you have to say. As before, your judgment will, I doubt not, show that mine was altogether at fault."

"Do not talk so James," returned Anna, her face covered with blushes. "I desire only to see with

act with you."

you and

"I know that, dear; but I am not perfect. I am

like all others, liable to err.

And it is your duty when