t."

"You see I was obliged to send somebody, Mrs Lupex."

"I'm not finding fault, Mr Cradell. I know very well that in my
melancholy position I have no right to find fault, and I don't
pretend to understand gentlemen's feelings towards each other. But
to have had my name mentioned up with yours in that way is-- Oh! Mr
Cradell, I don't know how I'm ever to look you in the face again."
And again she buried hers in her pocket-handkerchief.

"Handsome is as handsome does," said Miss Spruce; and there was that
in her tone of voice which seemed to convey much hidden meaning.

"Exactly so, Miss Spruce," said Mrs Lupex; "and that's my only
comfort at the present moment. Mr Cradell is a gentleman who would
scorn to take advantage;--I'm quite sure of that." And then she did
contrive to look at him over the edge of the hand which held the
handkerchief.

"That I wouldn't, I'm sure," said Cradell. "That is to say--" And
then he paused. He did not wish to get into a scrape about Mrs Lupex.
He was by no means anxious to encounter her husband in one of his
fits of jealousy. But he did like the idea of being talked of as the
admirer of a married woman, and he did like the brightness of the
lady's eyes. When the unfortunate moth in his semi-blindness whisks
himself and his wings within the flame of the candle, and finds
himself mutilated and tortured, he even then will not take the
lesson, but returns again and again till he is destroyed. Such a
moth was poor Cradell. There was no warmth to be got by him from
that flame. There was no beauty in the light,--not even the false
brilliance of unhallowed love. Injury might come to him,--a
pernicious clipping of the wings, which might destroy all power of
future flight; injury, and not improbably destruction, if he should
persevere. But one may say that no single hour of happiness could
accrue to him from his intimacy with Mrs Lupex. He felt for her no
love. He was afraid of her, and, in many respects, disliked her.
But to him, in his moth-like weakness, ignorance, and blindness, it
seemed to be a great thing that he should be allowed to fly near the
candle. Oh! my friends, if you will but think of it, how many of you
have been moths, and are now going about ungracefully with wings more
or less burnt off, and with bodies sadly scorched!

But before Mr Cradell could make up his mind whether or no he would
take advantage of the present opportunity for another dip into
the flame of the ca