and follow up your
career, which we trust in God may prove as prosperous as we are
convinced it will be honourable. Take our best thanks, my dear boy, for
your kindness to us, and now consider yourself at liberty to return to
England, and rejoin the service as soon as you please.

"And now I must address you, my dear Mary; you and your sister
accompanied us here, and since you have been with us, have cheered us
during our stay by your attentions and unwearied cheerfulness under all
the privations which we at first had to encounter. You have engaged the
affections of an honourable and deserving man, but at the same time have
never shewn the least disposition to leave us; indeed, we know what your
determination has been, but your aunt and I consider it our present duty
to say, that much as we shall regret to part with one so dear, you must
no longer sacrifice yourself for us, but make him happy who so well
deserves you. That you will remain here is of course out of the
question; your husband's connections and fortune require that he should
return to England, and not bury himself in the woods of Canada. You
have therefore our full permission, and I may say, it will be most
pleasing to us, if you no longer delay your union with Captain Sinclair
and follow your husband; whenever and wherever you go, you will have our
blessings and our prayers, and the satisfaction of knowing that you have
been to us as a dutiful daughter, and that we love you as dearly as it
is possible for parents to do. Take her, Captain Sinclair, from my
hands, and take with her our blessings and best wishes for your
happiness, which I do not doubt will be as great as we can expect in
this chequered world; for a dutiful daughter will always become a good
wife."

Mary, who was sitting between Mrs Campbell and Captain Sinclair, fell
upon her aunt's neck and wept; Mr Campbell extended his hand to Captain
Sinclair, who expressed in return his warmest thanks and gratitude.
Alfred, who had said nothing more, went up to his mother and kissed her.

"I wish you to go, Alfred," said his mother; "I wish you to rejoin a
service to which you are a credit. Do not believe otherwise, or that I
shall grieve too much at your departure."

"Go, my son," said Mr Campbell, shaking him by the hand, "and let me
see you a post-captain before I die."

Mrs Campbell now took Mary Percival into the next room, that she might
compose herself, and Captain Sinclair ventured to