supposed friendship was something far more tender and far-reaching.

"I'll never see her again!" sighed Jack.

"Who?" said I. "The widow?"

"The widow!" exclaimed Jack, contemptuously; "no--poor little Louie!"

"But you'll see the widow?"

"Oh, yes," said Jack, dryly. "I'll have to be there."

"Why not kick it all up, and go home on leave of absence?"

Jack shook his head despairingly.

"No chance," he muttered--"not a ghost of a one. My sentence is
pronounced; I must go to execution. It's my own doing, too. I've given
my own word."

"Next Tuesday?"

"Next Tuesday."

"Where?"

"St. Malachi's."

"Oh, it will be at church, then?"

"Yes."

"Who's the parson?"

"Oh, old Fletcher."

"At what time?"

"Twelve; and see here, Macrorie, you'll stand by a fellow--of course
--won't you? see me off--you know--adjust the noose, watch the drop
fall--and see poor Jack Randolph launched into--matrimony!"

"Oh, of course."

Silence followed, and soon I took my departure, leaving Jack to _his
meditations and his despair_.

CHAPTER XXXVI.

A FRIEND'S APOLOGY FOR A FRIEND.--JACK DOWN AT THE BOTTOM OF DEEP ABYSS
OF WOE.--HIS DESPAIR.--THE HOUR AND THE MAN!--WHERE IS THE WOMAN!--A
SACRED SPOT.--OLD FLETCHER.--THE TOLL OF THE BELL.--MEDITATIONS ON EACH
SUCCESSIVE STROKE.--A WILD SEARCH.--THE PRETTY SERVANT-MAID, AND HER
PRETTY STORY.--THROWING GOLD ABOUT.

Jack's strange revelation excited my deepest sympathy, but I did not
see how it was possible for him to get rid of his difficulty. One way
was certainly possible. He could easily get leave of absence and go
home, for the sake of attending to his estates. Once in England, he
could sell out, and retire from the army altogether, or exchange into
another regiment. This was certainly possible physically; but to Jack
it was morally impossible.

Now, Jack has appeared in this story in very awkward circumstances,
engaging himself right and left to every young lady that he fancied,
with a fatal thoughtlessness, that cannot be too strongly reprehended.
Such very diffusive affection might argue a lack of principle. Yet,
after all, Jack was a man with a high sense of honor. The only
difficulty was this, that he was too susceptible. All susceptible men
can easily understand such a character. I'm an awfully susceptible man
myself, as I have already had the honor of announcing, and am,
moreover, a man of honor--consequently I feel strongly for Jack, and
always