ore,
which well set off his fine athletic figure, and accorded with a sort of
easy, dashing, and confident air which sat not unhandsomely on him. For
the rest, a high forehead shaded by rings of the blackest hair, a keen,
dark eye, a firm and determined mouth, gave the impression of one who
had engaged to do battle with life, not only with a will, but with
shrewdness and ability.

He introduced the colloquy by stepping deliberately behind Mary, putting
his arms round her neck, and kissing her.

"Why, James!" said Mary, starting up, and blushing. "Come, now!"

"I have come, haven't I?" said the young man, leaning his elbow on the
window-seat and looking at her with an air of comic determined
frankness, which yet had in it such wholesome honesty that it was
scarcely possible to be angry. "The fact is, Mary," he added, with a
sudden earnest darkening of the face, "I won't stand this nonsense any
longer. Aunt Katy has been holding me at arm's length ever since I got
home; and what have I done? Haven't I been to every prayer-meeting and
lecture and sermon, since I got into port, just as regular as a
psalm-book? and not a bit of a word could I get with you, and no chance
even so much as to give you my arm. Aunt Kate always comes between us
and says, 'Here, Mary, you take my arm.' What does she think I go to
meeting for, and almost break my jaws keeping down the gapes? I never
even go to sleep, and yet I'm treated in this way! It's too bad! What's
the row? What's anybody been saying about me? I always have waited on
you ever since you were that high. Didn't I always draw you to school on
my sled? didn't we always use to do our sums together? didn't I always
wait on you to singing-school? and I've been made free to run in and out
as if I were your brother;--and now she is as glum and stiff, and always
stays in the room every minute of the time that I am there, as if she
was afraid I should be in some mischief. It's too bad!"

"Oh, James, I am sorry that you only go to meeting for the sake of
seeing me; you feel no real interest in religious things; and besides,
mother thinks now I'm grown so old, that----Why, you know things are
different now,--at least, we mustn't, you know, always do as we did when
we were children. But I wish you did feel more interested in good
things."

"I _am_ interested in one or two good things, Mary,--principally in you,
who are the beat I know of. Besides," he said quickly, and scanning her
face