Hearts with heavenly wisdom blest, There shall be my lot and treasure; Directly the last note of the concluding symphony died away, Herbert rose, and walked to the window. There he remained, motionless as a statue, until the gentle twilight faded into night, and one by one the glimmering stars came shining through the gathering darkness, and the soft summer's breeze changed suddenly into a cold fresh wind, which as it bent the giant branches of the trees into every fantastic form and shape, and swept suddenly past the dwelling, seemed ominously suggestive of an approaching storm. "I hope I am not disturbing you, sir," said James Gordon's voice close at his side. "Disturbing me?" repeated Herbert, turning quickly round, "oh, no! I fear I have kept you up later than you like, James." "Not at all, sir," returned Gordon, as he proceeded to light the lamps. Herbert watched him with a thoughtful countenance, and when he had finished his task, and was moving towards the door, he stopped him by saying abruptly— "Wait a moment, James." The man obeyed; and Herbert, placing a chair for him near the table, and taking another himself, continued,— 66 'I will not detain you long, my friend; but as this is the first night we have passed here together, I think we ought to spend a few minutes in prayer before we separate." James Gordon bent his head, and his eyes glittered with supreme satisfaction as he promptly acquiesced in this arrangement, while Herbert drew forth the little pocket Bible he always carried about with him. Was it chance which led him to open it at these words of solemn significance?" Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through, and steal : but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." He closed the book without reading another verse; and, looking at Gordon, remarked as it were involuntarily, "How beautiful that is, and how true!" Gordon said nothing, but he raised a thoughtful inquiring glance to his face, and Herbert, observing it, went on in a low, agitated, voice— "Just take your own mother, for an example, James. Supposing she had been whilst on earth the possessor of unbounded wealth, could it have given her health, or peace, or safety, or insured her against pain, affliction, and death? And supposing she had left behind her when she quitted this world, thousands upon thousands of gold, and silver, and houses, and lands of what advantage would that be to her now? could it increase her joy, or add, even in the smallest measure, to the happiness and felicity of her present condition? Ah, no! thank God, we are not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold; but with the precious blood of Christ!' Let us therefore, my friend, instead of trusting in earth's' uncertain riches,' seek to lay up in store for ourselves a good foundation against the time to come, that we may lay hold on eternal life." While Herbert spoke thus, James Gordon's emotion was indescribable. At first he gave a slight start, and gazed at him as if not perfectly comprehending his meaning; then he grew pale, and his features seemed to work convulsively; and, finally, his head sunk into his hands, and one silent witness of the depth of his feelings appeared in the shape of a tear, which rolled between his fingers. At the conclusion of the prayer, he was hurrying away, lest his agitation should be observed; but Herbert did not permit him to escape so easily. "James," he said, coming up to him, and laying a hand kindly upon his shoulder, “have I pained you by making this allusion to your mother?" “No, sir, no,” he answered, in a broken voice, drawing his fingers hastily across his eyes; “you cannot tell how much comfort you have given me." Herbert surveyed him with a look of mingled surprise and interrogation, and waited a minute or two in the full expectation of hearing him say something more. But, though he was several times on the point of speaking, and it evidently cost him an effort to restrain himself, he left Herbert's presence at length without having again referred to the subject. "How strange it is that Mr. Herbert should have chosen that particular verse to-night," was his half-muttered soliloquy, as he repaired to his own sleeping apartment. "At first I really thought he must have discovered my secret, and wished to reprove me for so often lamenting that my dear old mother did not live long enough to partake of He stopped, and made a sudden gesture, as if he wanted to get rid of a painful idea, which stirred his heart within him, and brought a faint glow to his bronzed face, and an earnest wistful expression to his eyes, but shortly afterwards his countenance became brilliant with unrepressed enjoyment, and he exclaimed in a tone of unfeigned pleasure, -“ Well, I trust I shall be enable to profit by Mr. Herbert's counsel, though I suspect he little knew how suitable that counsel would prove to me in my altered circumstances!" Are any of my readers curious to find out what James Gordon meant by speaking of his altered circumstances? The next chapter will probably disclose his secret CHAPTER XLII. JAMES GORDON'S SECRET. "What is friendship? If well founded, Like the treacherous sand below." BERNARD BARTON. It was still early the following morning when Herbert left his room, and, going downstairs, entered the pleasant little parlour, where he found everything in perfect order, the sunshine brightly streaming in at theopen window, and the breakfast-table arranged with faultless nicety. "What lovely weather this is, James! was his first-pleased exclamation, as Gordon at that moment made his appearance, bearing a small silver kettle in his hand. "It is, indeed, sir," answered the latter, cheerfully; "quite a contrast to last night's storm.' "I have been admiring your flowers," continued Herbert, glancing out at the neatly-kept beds; "they do not seem to have suffered. How did you contrive to get such a bountiful supply?" "Quite easily, sir," said Gordon, looking much gratified, "but I scarcely dared to hope that you would condescend to notice them, after being all your life accustomed to such rare kinds." "I am afraid you did me injustice, then," said Herbert, with a smile; "for in my eyes every kind is beautiful. Bǝsides, unless I greatly err, I can recognise several choice varieties amongst those which adorn yonder border." 66 Yes," returned Gordon, somewhat hesitatingly; "as that is a very sheltered situation, I thought I would try the experiment of cultivating a few uncommon plants there." "They thrive well, do they not?" "I think so, considering the- But I was going to ask you whether you would like to have breakfast at once?" added James Gordon, checking himself in the middle of his sentence. "Whenever you wish," rejoined Herbert, in a tone which implied that he considered the question a very unimportant one. Without waiting for further permission, Gordon left the room, returning almost immediately with such things as he deemed necessary to complete the preparations for Herbert's comfort, and, having seen the latter supplied with all that he could possibly require, he again retired, notwithstanding the young man's repeated request that he would sit down and share the meal with him. Towards noon Sir Edward called at the cottage, hoping he should be able to prevail on his friend to accompany him home for the remainder of the day. He thought that if, instead of hastily embracing the life of solitude which awaited him, Herbert were to become gradually habituated to it, the change in his position would be less perceptible and easier to bear. But on this point our hero's opinion did not coincide with that of Sir Edward. He fancied he had been idle too long already, and, now that his health was re-established, felt it would be inexcusable for him to continue in this state of inactivity and self-indulgence. Life was, in his estimation, no mere empty name, or shadowy vision, or passing dream; he knew it to be a real, earnest, decisive thing; a living truth, a serious responsibility; and so he gratefully but firmly resisted his friend's well-meant solicitations, preferring to look his difficulties in the face, and at once enter upon the performance of those duties which his new sphere of action might impose upon him. Sir Edward had not been gone many minutes before Herbert went in search of James Gordon. 66 My good friend," he said, accosting him with a smile, " I should like to have a little conversation with you. Will you join me in the parlour ? " Gordon looked quickly up at him; but, without betraying the least surprise, he answered, promptly, 66 Certainly sir; I shall be there in a moment." When he entered the room, he found Herbert sitting at his desk, with several letters and papers scattered over the table. The young man rose, and, handing him a chair, began in a grave, earnest tone, "Do you not think it is now expedient for us to come to some definite understanding in regard to the future, James?" Gordon briefly assented. "In the first place, however," pursued Herbert, "I am desirous of again offering you my warmest thanks for the unparalleled devotion and thoroughly disinterested kindness which you have on so many different occasions "Pardon me for interrupting you, sir," exclaimed Gordon, moving uneasily in his seat, and looking confused and disconcerted at this preface; "but I shall consider it a great favour if you will let that pass. I am wholly undeserving of your praise; and when I hear you speak thus it fills me with shame and humiliation, besides reminding me most forcibly of the numerous benefits I have received from yourself." 66 Really, James, you are quite an original character," returned Herbert, smiling at his warmth; "what have I ever done for you, my friend?" "Ah! sir, can you ask the question? Don't you know that if I had never seen you, I should have now been either a poor, lost, degraded creature, despised alike by myself and others-hopeless and friendless-wretched and despairing, or- He paused for a moment, profoundly affected; and it was only by making a powerful effort that he forced himself to proceed-" or, what I think is more probable, I should have added to my other crimes by the perpetration of a still blacker one!" "To what do you allude?" asked Herbert, startled and interested. "SUICIDE!" he answered, in a scarcely articulate whisper. 66 Impossible!" said Herbert, shuddering. "I cannot believe," he added, in a consolatory tone," you would ever have been brought to contemplate that sad step." "This proves how little you know me," replied Gordon, with a melancholy bend of the head, and a faint, mysterious smile. Look here, sir!"—and taking from his pocket a small round box, he removed the cover, and displayed a bottle full of laudanum ! "I do not comprehend you," faltered Herbert, whose countenance expressed both horror and amazement; "what is your object in carrying that about with you?" "Well, sir, I am going to tell you," said Gordon, heaving a sigh of bitter regret, as he carefully returned the bottle to its box. "When I reached England, after so many years' absence, almost the first person I happened to meet was an old acquaintance of my mother, and, although he had evidently no recollection of myself, I at once addressed him, ad eagerly inquired whether she was still alive. He' told me he had not seen her for a long time, and that, from information he obtained regarding her a few months previously, he fully believed her to be dead. "On hearing this, I hastily left him, and entering the nearest chemist's shop, spent my last shilling in purchasing a bottle of laudanum, with which I intended to put an end to my miserable existence. I should have carried out my wicked design then and there, but for a strange longing which came over me to pay one more visit to the home of my childhood, and have the gloomy satisfaction of beholding my mother's grave. "Accordingly I set out, performing the journey from London to Mertonsville on foot, and arrived, as you know, only just in time "Yes, yes; I remember," said Herbert, soothingly, on perceiving the convulsive movement on Gordon's face; "it was a trying scene for you, my poor friend. Still, you have great reason to be thankful that you were in time." Both remained silent for a little space, and then Herbert, seeing that his companion's emotion had subsided, went on in a lighter tone than he had yet used, "You must admit, James, that what you have told me serves to evince the correctness of my opinion." 66 How, sir?" inquired the other earnestly. "Why, by your own statement, the obligations to which you so touchingly allude are, as far as they bear any reference to me, simply imaginary." 66 Ah," said Gordon, rousing himself, "I have not finished my explanation. It would be useless for me to attempt to describe what I suffered during the night succeeding my mother's death: such terrible anguish I hope never to experience again. Not once, or twice, but a hundred times I felt tempted to swallow the deadly draught; but althongh the bottle was at my very lips, and the desire to drain its contents increased each moment, I found myself literally unable to complete my purpose: your image, sir, came incessantly before me." "O James!" exclaimed Herbert, half reproachfully. But without paying the slightest heed to this interruption, Gordon continued, "Your words, and looks, and tones all combined to produce an abiding impression upon my mind. If you had appeared to shrink from me, or if you had even gone so far as to treat me with undisguised scorn and contempt, I should probably have borne it with |