on't forsake him, I beseech you."

Jim protested in the most emphatic terms that he had no intention of
forsaking anybody, and made a great many more protestations, in the
midst of which there were numerous ardent and more or less appropriate
references to hearts that never deserted their colours, sheet-anchors
that held on through thick and thin, and needles that pointed, without
the smallest shadow of variation, to the pole.

"But what makes you think I'm going to leave him?" he asked, at the end
of one of those flights.

"Because he is so rough to 'ee, Jim," replied the girl, leaning her head
on her lover's shoulder; "he spoke so gruff even now, and I thought you
went away huffed. Oh, Jim, you are the only one that has any influence
over him--"

"Not the only one," returned Jim, quietly smoothing the fair girl's hair
with his hard strong hand.

"Well, the only _man_, at any rate," continued Nora, "especially when he
is overcome with that dreadful drink. Dear Jim, you won't forsake him,
will you, even though he should insult, even though he should _strike_
you?"

"No, never! Because he is your father, Nora, I'll stick by him in spite
of all he can say or do to me, and try, God helping me, to save him.
But I cannot stick by him if--"

"If what?" asked the girl anxiously, observing that he hesitated.

"If he does anything against the laws," said Jim in a low voice. "It
isn't that I'm afraid of my good name--I'd even let that go, for _your_
sake, if by so doing I could get him out of mischief; and as long as I
know nothing against him _for certain_, I'll stand by him. But if he
does fall, and I come to know it, I _must_ leave him, Nora, because I
won't be art and part in it. I could no longer go on my knees to pray
for him if I did that, Nora. Moreover, if anything o' that sort should
happen, I must leave the country, because he'd be sure to be caught and
tried, and I will never stand witness against _your_ father if I can
avoid it by fair means."

Poor Nora hung her head as she asked in a low voice if Jim really
thought her father was engaged in illegal practices.

"I can't say that I do," replied the youth earnestly. "Come, cheer up,
dearest Nora. After all, it is chiefly through reports that my
suspicions have been aroused, and we all know how easy it is for an
enemy to raise an evil report. But, Nora, I wish you had not bound me
to secrecy as to my reason for sticking by your father. Why should