xperienced
in such matters shows me the danger you are in; stop now, in mercy to
yourself and all who love you."

"Release me, Mr. Wilkins; you have no right to act in this manner to me,
sir."

"Yes!" shouted Quirk, seizing an empty bottle with a dreadful
imprecation, and levelling it at Wilkins' head, "release him this minute
if you don't want this through your skull!"

At this instant one of the other clerks caught sight of Guly, who had
stood where he stopped, as if spell-bound, through all this scene.

"Look there!" cried the young man, pointing toward the staircase, and
dropping the cards he held.

They all turned their heads and looked toward Guly, who seemed, standing
there in his white robe, with the lamp elevated just in front of his
forehead, not unlike some spiritual visitant bearing a star on his brow.

The attention which had been called to him, seemed in a measure to rouse
Guly, for he came on slowly down the stairs, but with his blue eyes open
and fixed like one walking in his sleep.

Not one of the startled group before him moved a muscle or dropped an
eye as he advanced, but gazed upon him like persons under the influence
of magnetism.

He approached the table, put his lamp upon it, and laid his Bible down
beside it. He turned his eyes upon Arthur, and stood with his hands
clasped, looking at him as Wilkins still held him drawn back from the
table in his chair.

Still no eye was turned, no lip moved, not a word was uttered. There was
something to awe the stoutest soul in the almost unearthly expression of
the boy's face, as he gazed upon his brother with an unutterable
hopelessness shining from his eyes. Never, in all his fears for Arthur's
erring steps, had Guly thought of this. Never had the idea of gambling
crossed his mind; and now, as he saw him engaged in it, his heart seemed
to grow cold, and he stood looking at him as if he felt the future was
but a wild abyss, into which he must inevitably fall, and near the brink
of which he had too closely approached ever to escape.

All his hopes, his aspirations, and ambition for that brother fell on
the instant from their throne, and, as they vanished, gave back but the
one sad echo--"Lost! lost! lost!"

Arthur had looked up, and met the light of those sad eyes but for an
instant, then dropped his head, and sat, with changing cheek, nervously
fingering the cards which, at Quirk's suggestion, he had picked up from
the table.

The silence whi