vantage of the new aspect of affairs she painted for
her; she only felt that Minny was enduring a life of wrong, and longed
to give her redress. And Minny's was a great, and noble, and truthful
heart. From earliest childhood she had been taught to regard Miss Della
as her mistress, and was never absent from her side. Della had been
educated at home; and Minny, with her quick mind, and an occasional
lesson from her young mistress, together with her earnest desire to
learn, had acquired more real knowledge than Della herself, though
lacking some of the light accomplishments in which her mistress
excelled. Thus had they grown up together, and they were not to be
parted now.

CHAPTER XVIII.

"Alas! the heart that inly bleeds
Has naught to fear from outward blow;
Who falls from all he knows of bliss,
Cares little into what abyss."

Byron.

When Arthur left the store, the evening after the unfortunate affair of
the bank deposit, he had gone forth with no definite purpose, no chosen
course for his footsteps, only with a longing desire to feel the breath
of Heaven upon his hot brow once again, and to look up at the stars,
which he felt glad would gaze on him always the same, from the deep blue
sky above; no matter what changes came o'er the heart of man, or how
black the frown adversity might bend upon him. Perhaps had the youth,
that night, been left to commune with his own rebel thoughts, and to the
companionship of those holy stars, and the still voice of the night, he
would have become himself again, and sought his pillow with a heart
refreshed from the storm that had swept over it. But his evil genius
pursued him; and before he reached the first corner, he heard a quick
step behind him, and turning, stood face to face with the last person
he at that moment wished to meet--Quirk, his fellow-clerk.

Since the Sabbath which they had spent so disgracefully together, he had
shunned Quirk in every way. He had avoided his glances, shunned his
presence, and turned a deaf ear to his sneers and gibes. But now there
was no way to avoid him, and Arthur greeted him with as good a grace as
possible.

"What the devil's the matter with you, Pratt?" he exclaimed, after the
first words of recognition. "I can see plainly there's been a muss
between you and old D., someway, but I'll be hanged if I could find out
what 'twas about. He hasn't found out we lost that pass-key, has he?"

"D----n the key," said