at sins than if I were a prison
chaplain!" Then, going up to the sobbing delinquent he said:

"Unhappy girl! who is this person of whom you speak?"

"H--h--h--him that I met when I went walking in the woods," sobbed
Capitola.

"Heaven of heavens! this is worse than my very worst fears! Wretched
girl! Tell me instantly the name of this base deceiver!"

"He--he--he's no base deceiver; he--he--he's very amiable and
good-looking; and--and--and that's why I liked him so much; it was all
my fault, not his, poor, dear fellow!"

"His name?" sternly demanded the pastor.

"Alf--Alf--Alfred," wept Capitola.

"Alfred whom?"

"Alfred Blen--Blen--Blenheim!"

"Miserable girl! how often have you met this miscreant in the forest?"

"I--don't--know!" sobbed Capitola.

"Where is the wretch to be found now?"

"Oh, please don't hurt him, sir! Please don't! He--he--he's hid in the
closet in my room."

A groan that seemed to have rent his heart in twain burst from the bosom
of the minister, as he repeated in deepest horror:

"In your room! (Well, I must prevent murder being done!) Did you not
know, you poor child, the danger you ran by giving this young man
private interviews; and, above all, admitting him to your apartment?
Wretched girl! better you'd never been born than ever so to have
received a man!"

"Man! man! man!--I'd like to know what you mean by that, Mr. Goodwin!"
exclaimed Capitola, lifting her eyes flashing through their tears.

"I mean the man with whom you have given these private interviews."

"I!--I give private interviews to a man! Take care what you say, Mr.
Goodwin; I won't be insulted; no, not even by you!"

"Then, if you are not talking of a man, who or what in the world are you
talking about?" exclaimed the amazed minister.

"Why, Alfred, the Blenheim poodle that strayed away from some of the
neighbors' houses, and that I found in the woods and brought home and
hid in my closet, for fear he would be inquired after, or uncle would
find it out and make me give him up. I knew it was wrong, but then he
was so pretty----"

Before Capitola had finished her speech Mr. Goodwin had seized his hat
and rushed out of the house in indignation, nearly overturning Old
Hurricane, whom he met on the lawn, and to whom he said:

"Thrash that girl as if she were a bay boy, for she richly deserves it!"

"There! what did I say? Now you see what a time I have with her; she
makes me sweat, I can tell you," said Old