rtain regret, as that graceful figure vanishes from the
stage that never was worthy of her queen-like presence. Was it in
dream-land that I saw the original of the character and face that I have
endeavored, thus roughly, to portray? Perhaps so. But there are visions
so near akin to realities, that one's brain grows dizzy in trying to
disentangle the two.

It is unfortunate that the void created by any man's death is by no
means proportionate to his intrinsic merits. So it happened that the
loss of Royston Keene was felt more than he deserved. Far and wide over
the surface of the world's sea the circles spread from the spot where
his life went down. He was missed not only by his old comrades in arms:
men who scarcely knew him by sight spared some regret to the favorite
hero of the Light Dragoons. Mark Waring, in the loneliness of his dreary
chambers, gnashed his teeth in bitterness of envy; for he guessed _who_
would be the chief mourner. Arnaud de Chateaumesnil's remark was
characteristic. Hearing that his old opponent had fallen in the front of
the battle, he struck his hand impatiently on his own crippled limbs,
muttering--"Sang-dieu! Il avait toujours la main heureuse." Harry
Molyneux can not trust his voice to speak of him yet; and other
beautiful eyes besides _La Mignonne's_ were dim with tears when they
read a certain death-gazette. Truly, "great men have fallen in Israel,"
and saints have departed in the plentitude of sanctity, without winning
such wealth of regrets as was lavished on the grave of that strong
sinner. Only two women alive--and these he had never wronged--rejoiced
over the news unfeignedly--Bessie Danvers and his own wife.

Shall we pass judgment on Royston Keene? He had erred so often and
heavily that even the intercession of a penitent who never kneels before
Heaven without mingling his name in her prayers must probably be
unavailing. Yet will we not cast the stone. All temptations, of course,
can be resisted, and ought to be overcome. But there are men born with
so peculiar a temperament, and who seem to have been so completely under
the dominion of circumstances, that they might well be supposed to have
been raised up for a warning. How far are such to be held accountable?
Let us refrain from this subject, remembering how grave and learned
theologians, earnest opponents of Predestinarianism, have been reduced
to the extreme of perplexity when confronted with the ensample of
Pharaoh.

It woul