clear to himself that he had no occasion to explain his position to anyone; for inasmuch as his conscience was void of offence, he had nothing to confess; therefore his resolve was greatly simplified, reducing itself to one of two alternatives,-whether he was justified in giving his name to another or not. Prayerful and anxious pondering led him to the resolution to seek consultation with Mr. Riley, and to ask his permission to plead his cause with May. When he arrived at the Manse, the mother and the daughter were entertaining a worthy, but poor church member who, after Mrs. Riley, had her name on the top of the list of the sisterhood, and was held in much esteem by all the members. Gabriel found the pastor in his study, where he would be safe from the intrusion of the other members of the family. "I came here this evening, Mr. Riley," said Gabriel, "to speak to you on a most important matter. You knew nothing of me until about two years ago, but you have shown me all possible consideration and kindness." Whether I have succeeded in doing so or not, I am sure it has been my aim, and I do not wish to flatter you when I say that you are worthy, for your own sake, of my warmest attachment, both in my official capacity as minister of the gospel and as a friend. I have taken you on your own merit, without thinking of your past, which is not long, wherever you spent it, and cannot contain anything that belies your present position of usefulnsss and growing prosperity. You told me a year ago that you have no nearer relation alive than an aged grandfather; and if I may tell you so, your lonesomeness had something to do at first in evoking our sympathy towards you." "I have not the gift of beating much about the bush; pardon me, therefore, if I may seem to be somewhat abrupt. Your friendship to me has been more precious than you can imagine, but I come here to implore your consent to win a higher favour. The question relates to another, yet for obvious reasons I come to you first. Your daughter has become dearer to me than any other human being." "My dear lad, you come to ask for a great deal,--my only child. Take my hand, and go and seek my daughter's; you have my consent and I make almost sure that her mother will not object. May heaven bless you with all that is best." He found May coming into the house having a right royal cluster of purple grapes in each hand, and she asked him,— "Will you share with me my burden of fruit? I have a bunch of flowers to pick up." Yes, with pleasure, and may I," he said, "become a sharer in all your burdens?" "Serious as usual, Mr. John? I have no burdens worthy of being placed on your stalwart shoulders," she replied, hiding her emotion, for she felt his question had a point which it was not easy to meet playfully, or to parry off with a dexterous rejoinder. The tone of mirthful coyness which customarily suited her so well had forsaken her, and she could hardly analyse her feelings whilst leading him to place the fruit in the basket she had set near the piano in the drawing-room. He was not disposed to let go his advantage,— 66 Do you remember, when we stood at this piano before, you spoke of forming a quartet?" The expression had struck him then with a meaning she had not intended to convey. "Let me drop all figures, and fire point blank. Dear May, will you allow yourself, in accordance with your name, to turn my life into one continuous summer and pure sunshine?" The answer was given as all such answers always are. May had loved no other than Gabriel; in fact, she had not seen any to be compared with him since she had left school. He had spoken to her father, she would impart the news to her mother, and receive the blessing of both. It fell to the lot of Mr. Riley to visit Van Dieman's or Tasmania as deputy appointed from Australia, with the view of undertaking new missionary enterprise among the aborigines. He had also obtained permission to visit the penal settlement of the island. Intelligence was easily obtainable in compliance with the request made by his nephew in the letter already quoted from Africa. His colleague being engaged in drawing up a report, he went alone to interview Jason Penrith, the companion of Gabriel in exile; and he obtained clear proof that Gabriel Yoreth and Gabriel John were one and the same individual. Penrith had in his possession a letter from Yoreth giving an account of the kind way in which Mr. Wilfred, the Melbourne solicitor and philanthropist, had assisted him. For a day or two Mr. Riley felt nearly overwhelmed by the discovery; but after pondering over the full and satisfactory information received from Penrith, and taking into account the excellent character given by all who spoke of Gabriel, he took a brighter view of the event in spite of its being exceedingly perplexing; and he resolved to call upon Mr. Wilfred on his return home through Melbourne. He also called to mind how pointedly Gabriel had proposed a hypothetical instance of a released convict being received into partnership when they conversed on these questions at the Manse; and how fully his own replies fitted in with the circumstances. of Gabriel's case so as to exonerate the young man from any blame in seeking the hand of May. In addition to this, the way in which his consent to the engagement had been asked, revealed the same care on the part of Gabriel lest, in case his antecedents became known, any blame should be attached to him for seeking what would seem his own ends at the expense of lowering the social status of one whom, there could be no doubt, he loved with all the force of a powerful mind. As soon as Mr. Riley had completed his mission in Tasmania, he hastened to Melbourne and sought an interview with Mr. Wilfred, when he detailed to him the facts that came under his notice in carrying out the request of his nephew. "Gabriel Yoreth has, without knowing it," said Mr. Wilfred, "placed me in a position to proffer you all the information you may ask, and to which you are entitled as the father of his intended wife. He has written to me to inform me of his intention to marry Miss Riley in the course of a few months. "What course would you advise me to pursue, seeing I can no longer act as if I did. not know anything of these incidents?" "I shall thank you much, Mr. Riley, if you will be so good as to convey him a message from me, stating that his grandfather's health is gradually giving way, and that the property which will be Gabriel's has more than doubled its value through the granting of leases upon the little estate; and the out-put of minerals from below the surface, greater than was the case a few years ago, produces an increased amount of royalty, that is, a percentage on every ton of mineral dug out of the earth, paid to the owner of the land. If I were in your stead I would inform him the first opportunity how the facts came to your knowledge, letting no one else know anything at all of the affair." "I conclude, from what you say, that you consider the young man to be the victim of a cruel mistake." Your inference is correct as to my opinion of the matter," replied Mr. Wilfred. I have sincerely admired his disposition for more than a year with growing esteem; and now I am able to account for the look of sadness, painful to behold, which sometimes crept over him when he was brought face to face with suffering." "Have you noticed the calm and unflinching earnestness with which he takes his stand when he has made up his mind? It is the disposition of an Athanasius against the world; and can be cultivated only by a mind habituated to the feeling of being in the right on some vital question, when others clearly are in the wrong." "I have observed that trait, and though I could not understand it before, I accept your explanation as being also my own.' At the time of Mr. Riley's arrival at Bailey-hill, Gabriel was from home. On the following day both took a long walk together, and Mr. Riley, in the kindest possible manner, told Gabriel,-"Gabriel, my dear boy, I sympathize from my heart with your hard lot, during the last five years. I have interviewed Penrith; and Mr. Wilfred has unhesitatingly tendered me all the information he had, as much in your defence as for my satisfaction. Do not put your hand over your eyes; you have no possible occasion to fear harm from me, or from any word of mine." "Do not, I pray," begged Gabriel, whilst gasping for breath, "do not disturb our present arrangements, or I fear it will be too "Yes, my son; and more really so now than ever you would be without my knowing of the heavy cross you have silently borne, and the suffering you have bravely endured." "I have often wished I could acquaint you with the facts you have just discovered; but I resolved not to anticipate the leadings and ways of Providence; and by their intervention the task has been accomplished in a manner far better than I could devise. I received from your own words and arguments a balm for my conscience to heal the soreness I felt in asking May to take as her own a name tarnished in the sight of the law of the land, though unblemished in that respect before the throne of God. It would be only right now that I should supplement what you have heard from others with my own version of the trying event." "You may relate your experience of the last five years some other time if you desire, when it will pain you less to do so than now and here.' "No, here, if I may, under the open sky, in the eye of Heaven; and let me beg of you, do not let this cloud come over May's wedding. Can we not keep all to ourselves, until the explanation of the mystery will be given us in this, or in the next world?" "Very well, it will be quite as well for us both to bring this episode to a close to-day if possible. In my capacity as pastor many a sorrowful incident that comes to my hearing is buried at once and for ever; and do you not think that I can do that much for my wife and daughter?" After an hour's recital by Gabriel, concise, and thrilling, now in a poetic strain, now walking, and now standing, Mr. Riley thought he had never heard all the strings of human pathos and eloquence touched thus before, and both men bore upon them tokens of mutual tension and excitement. When they drew near the Manse, Gabriel indicated an inclination for going straight to his lodgings, for he feared the keen perception of loving eyes would discover signs of a spent storm of emotion. And Mr. Riley had an impression that it would be easier to resume their ordinary rôle by taking up the thread of their past connection as soon as possible, after it was broken during the confidences of their memorable walk. A shade of anxiety crossed the countenances of the two women when they caught sight of husband and lover approaching the entrance to the house; and May obtained an opportunity to enquire of Gabriel whether anything untoward had occurred during their stay out of doors. No, dear May, nothing that could disturb the good understanding which always subsists between us. There is no such another as your father under the Southern Cross. There it is out already; I never saw it more beautiful than tonight; whenever we behold it, may it remind us to direct our gaze to another and more glorious Cross." was In the presence of May he soon regained composure, and buoyant reaction setting in after the excited depression of the preceding hour or two from perceiving that the very best solution of his perplexity had been granted him in a measure far beyond his most sanguine expectations. 'Your trustfulness has a tone of triumph in it this evening. What is it that has caused it?" Have no fear, my darling, in watching the changing hues of the sky and the clouds; the sunshine, I cannot help believing, for May and me will last for many a pleasant day!" The little company, after all, was never in a more happy mood at its evening repast; but the women observed an unusual tenderness in the voice of the men when they spoke to each other, especially when the elder of the two addressed the younger. (To be continued.) Printed and Published by Hughes and Son, at 66, Hope Street, Wrexham. (A Constituent College of the University of Wales.) -)o( PRINCIPAL: H. R. REICHEL, M.A., With Eight Professors, Four Lecturers, and Eleven other teachers. Next Session begins OCTOBER 2nd, 1894. The College courses include the subjects for the degrees of London University. Students intending to graduate in Medicine at the Universities of Edinburgh or Glasgow may take their first year's course at the College. There are special departments for Agriculture and Electrical Engineering. At the Entrance Scholarship Examination (beginning SEPTEMBER 18th) more than 20 Scholarships and Exhibitions, ranging in value from £40 to £10, will be open for competition. One half the total amount offered is reserved for Welsh candidates. For further information and copies of the Prospectus, apply to JOHN EDWARD LLOYD, M.A., |