lied the
clergyman. He looked over Lizzie's shoulder. "What is this, my dear?
Whist?"

"Yes, sir," murmured the girl, feebly, and with a blush of shame.

In her confusion she threw down the worst card she could have played.
But James did not do much better; and the trick was Chester's. He smiled
as he took it up, and gently admonished his sister to be more careful
of the game.

The old gentleman entered into conversation with the parents, and the
children gradually recovered their nerves. But all were now anxious that
the play should be brought to a close. It so happened that the victory,
to Chester and Lizzie, depended upon one trick. She played wrong, and
they lost it; when, to the astonishment of all, Mr. Rensford exclaimed,

"Ah! that was a bad play, my dear! You should have led your ace, and
drawn Sarah's queen, then your ten of trumps would have been good for
the next trick. Don't you see?"

"Yes, sir," murmured Lizzie, submissively.

"One would say you were an old hand at the game," cried Chester.

"O, as to that," replied the clergyman, smiling, "I used to be
considered a good whist-player in my younger days."

"Won't you take a hand now, sir?"

"No, I thank you," laughing good-humoredly; "I gave up the amusement
twenty years ago. But let me take the cards, if you are done with them,
and I will show this little girl a pleasant trick, if I have not
forgotten it."

"Certainly, sir," said Chester.

The family began to like the old gentleman already. Lizzie gave him her
seat at the table, and looked over his shoulder. He sorted the cards
with his thin, white fingers, and gave a number of them historical
names, telling her to remember them. He called the game "The Battle of
Waterloo." It proved eminently interesting to the older children, as
well as to Lizzie; and, in such a simple, beautiful manner did the old
man go through with the evolutions, that all, even the proud Chester,
afterwards knew more about the last days of Napoleon's power than they
had learned in all their lives.

"There!" exclaimed the clergyman, "isn't that as good as whist?"

"I like it better," answered Lizzie, who found herself already leaning
fondly on his shoulder. "But what did they do with Napoleon?"

"Would you like to know?"

"O, yes! very much."

"Well, then, I will tell you. Or, since it is getting late, suppose I
lend you a little book in the morning, that relates all about it?"

"I would like to read it," said Li