enance, she was
singularly beautiful. Pathfinder gazed at her with an intentness he did
not endeavor to conceal, and then he fairly laughed in his own way, and
with a sort of wild exultation, as men that are untutored are wont to
express their delight. This momentary indulgence, however, was expiated
by the pang which followed the sudden consciousness that this glorious
young creature was lost to him for ever. It required a full minute for
this simple-minded being to recover from the shock of this conviction;
and then he recovered his dignity of manner, speaking with gravity,
almost with solemnity.

"I have always known, Mabel Dunham, that men have their gifts," said he;
"but I'd forgotten that it did not belong to mine to please the young,
the beautiful, and l'arned. I hope the mistake has been no very heavy
sin; and if it was, I've been heavily punished for it, I have. Nay,
Mabel, I know what you'd say, but it's unnecessary; I _feel_ it all, and
that is as good as if I _heard_ it all. I've had a bitter hour, Mabel.
I've had a very bitter hour, lad."

"Hour!" echoed Mabel, as the other first used the word; the tell-tale
blood, which had begun to ebb towards her heart, rushing again
tumultuously to her very temples; "surely not an hour, Pathfinder?"

"Hour!" exclaimed Jasper at the same instant; "No, no, my worthy friend,
it is not ten minutes since you left us!"

"Well, it may be so; though to me it has seemed to be a day. I begin to
think, however, that the happy count time by minutes, and the miserable
count it by months. But we will talk no more of this; it is all over
now, and many words about it will make you no happier, while they will
only tell me what I've lost; and quite likely how much I desarved to
lose her. No, no, Mabel, 'tis useless to interrupt me; I admit it all,
and your gainsaying it, though it be so well meant, cannot change my
mind. Well, Jasper, she is yours; and, though it's hard to think it,
I do believe you'll make her happier than I could, for your gifts are
better suited to do so, though I would have strived hard to do as much,
if I know myself, I would. I ought to have known better than to believe
the Sergeant; and I ought to have put faith in what Mabel told me at the
head of the lake, for reason and judgment might have shown me its truth;
but it is so pleasant to think what we wish, and mankind so easily
over-persuade us, when we over-persuade ourselves. But what's the use
in talking of