only for your money, which you led me to suppose you had."

"Oh, I suppose you'd rather marry old Dorothy Craft! Don't be uneasy, she is going to bring a suit against you, and I'll help her all I can, for I despise you now and never cared for you. Did you not tell me you were the son of Mr. Percival who died so rich ?"

"Never! Are there not more than one of the family of Smiths?"

"Oh, you deceitful wretch!" murmured Mrs. Percival, as she fell into a faint.

The

Mr. Percival rang the bell violently. alarmed maid entered, amazed at the agitation and excited manner of the newly married pair, who had till then kept up an appearance of devoted love.

"Take that woman to her room," said Percival, and when you have unclasped her diamond necklace and bracelet (they were his bridal present for which he still owed) bring them to me."

This roused Mrs. Percival from her faint, and, like an offended Dido, she rose and raised her hand in a theatrical attitude and pointed her taper finger towards Mr. Percival, who had gone to the window and was looking out, envying the poorest man that passed before him.

"If you dare to obey that man," said Mrs. Per

cival, “I'll dismiss you in an hour without a cent. Let me see the one who will lay finger upon my jewels. I'll go to my room, and you may follow me, Mary, but not to please you, Sir." Mrs. Percival had crossed the hall to enter her room, which was opposite the parlor, when another servant announced that Mrs. Screw was waiting in the reception-room to see Mrs. Percival. "Say to her that I'm ill," said Mrs. P. In a few moments the man returned with word that "Mrs. Screw would not be put off without at least seeing Mrs. Percival, and that from all she was saying in the servants' hall, it would be well, if he dared advise, to let her come up." Mrs. Percival was angry enough to dare any thing, and just in the humor to take pleasure in adding to her distracted husband's ill nature and disappointment. "Send her in to Mr. Percival," said Mrs. Percival.

The Jewess stole up stairs with a stealthy step, and looked as if she felt too poor to make so free in so grand a house, and with all humility she curtsied at the parlor door, which John had opened for her. Mrs. P. listened to hear the result, which she had every reason to believe would not be very agreeable to Mrs. Screw! First there were high words, and curses upon the "pilfering Jewish knaves," and then a muttering sound in a woman's voice, and then high words again. A moment more, the door

flew open and Mr. Percival appeared behind Mrs. Screw, acting the part of a locomotive for her. He made her go faster out the door than she came in, and closed it after her with a threat to John "that he would teach him the same way to walk if he let in any more such creatures." Mr. Percival took his hat and walked out to find relief in the open air. The astonished servants met to discuss the wonderful uproar and decide the cause, but Mary was sent to tell them "that Master was a little out of his mind from wine he took before dinner, and, not being very well it had crazed him, as they all might see."

Mr. Percival had scarcely walked a block before he met the widower Mr. Harris, who was on his way to make a call upon the bride and groom; and after tea, the former occupants of No. 3 and 4 "were," he said, "to drop in, and pay their respects to the handsome Mrs. Percival."

"Thank you," said Mr. Percival, "could you wait an hour or so? I just left Mrs. Percival a little ill."

"Indeed! I'm prodigious sorry; hope it's nothing serious?"

"Oh nothing, nothing more than I fear she'll suffer from all her life, and yet it will not prove fatal."

"Disease of the heart, suppose," said Mr. Harris,

raising his eyebrows to express both sympathy and fear-"Oh no, she'll never die from that," replied Mr. P.

"Thank God," said Mr. Harris. "Well, Percivel," he continued, "you were a lucky dog, I came near winning the prize myself! ”

"Perhaps," said Mr. Percival, "you'd better come to-morrow evening and bring your friends with you, and let them see how happily we live. Mr. Harris bowed and passed on, and Mr. Percival walked towards Madison Square, intending to go in and reflect while undisturbed upon what course he had best pursue. The shock had nearly made his heart stand still, and, seating himself upon a bench under a large willow tree, he felt his pulse and thought it very low for one so lately a happy groom. The willow waved its branches over his head, and he could not help wishing it was over his grave. "Poor Colton! happy man!" said Percival aloud. A woman's parasol hit him as she passed; "Beg pardon," said Miss Craft; "why, who could have thought I'd meet you here, Mr. Percival! I never meant to see you again. My heart has been racked and torn by the bitter disappointment your deception cost me, but I hope to get redress, and you had better now compromise the matter while you can."

Percival would have looked amazed had not

Mrs. Percival given him a hint of what he might expect; but what grounds there were for supposing that he had ever broken the spinster's heart was more than he could possibly conjecture. He rose, and without saying a word in reply, with a quick and nervous step left the Park. "The villain," said Miss Craft, looking after him and raising her parasol high above her head to see him better,— "All the money I spent in ribbon and Lubin's best," thought Miss Craft, "all to no purpose. Well, there's a day of retribution coming when the hearts of lone, single, disappointed women will be gathered, and their sorrows shown to the astonished world; when their" here Miss Craft drew out a handkerchief from her pocket which had got caught and took some time to extricate it from tangled ends of cotton, silk and tape, and the delay made Miss Craft forget what she had intended it for; she shook it out and returned it to its abiding-place, arranged her collar which was turned nearly around, and then walked on to her boarding-house, which was now much less aspiring than the "brown stone front."

Mr. Percival returned home at a late hour at night, and found Mrs. P. still in her room, writing notes. With a smile and tone of irony she called out to him as she had done each time he returned before,