A Mason's Story.

And the rose , like a nymph to the bath addrest . Which unveiled the depth of her glowing breast , Till , fold after fold , to the fainting air The soul of her beauty and love lay bare .

And the jessamine faint , and sweet tuberose , The sweetest flower for scent that blows , And all rare blossoms from every clime Grew in that garden in perfect prime . And there was one which grew in a secluded corner by itself—a root of violets —the gift of Falconer before he had loft . This was tended with a greater amount of care than any other plant which grew in the garden . When she

bent over them she would often whisper those beautiful lines of Raleig h ' s : Sweet violets , love ' s paradise that spread Your gracious odours , which you couched beare , Within your palie faces . " Mary was all unconscious of what was going on within while she was communing with her flora . Let us look into the house while we leave her

there . It is the same old p lace as when we saw it last , wrapped in its wintry garb . But now the genial rays of the sun were permeating every crevice , and lighting up each room with a golden radiance . Mr . Morton ' s study is the same too , nothing altered , nothing changed . The books are arranged with the same prim nicety ; the man is tho same , and he grows more firmly fossilized in his old world-cursing creeds every clay .

On this brig ht morn , when all nature was rejoicing out of doors , Mr . Morton and the individual , Pelliam , whom I have mentioned , were seated at the window . Pelham was saying , " It will be better for her own sake , my dear friend , that she should give up this Falconer ; for you know that , with the opinions he holds , he can never make any woman happy or comfortable . He must be so wrapped up in

himself . " If Pelliam had never been " wrapped up in himself " any more than my noble and true-hearted friend Falconer , he would have been a hundredfold better man than he was .

Mr . 'Falconer replied , " I gave my word , when the young man visited me , before he left England , that he should have Mary at the expiration of three years , provided they cared for each other at the end of that period . I cannot break my word now , and I do not quite understand why you should urge it upon me . " " Well , sir , " answered Pelliam , " you of course know your own business

best ; I only acted as I thought in the interests of Miss Morton and her family when I spoke to you . I do not like Penrhyn Falconer ; he is not what I should call a good or an honourable man •" " There , you will excuse me , " interrupted his hearer . " I have studied the lad ' s character well ; and despite his heretical views—for which he himself is not responsiblebut his father—I have ever found him

truthfulstraight-, , forward , ancl manly . He is a gentleman , sir , whatever anybody may say to the contrary . " And . now the insinuating tempter , having played one of his cards wrong , ventured on another , and with the words , " He has spoken contemptuously of you and your religion , " left Mr . Morton , to let the poison work its effect without his assistance .

A brig ht sunny clay in leafy June . 'The steamer " Mermaid " is gliding o-ail y through the smooth and placid waters of Windermere Lake , bearing a merry crew . There is to be a picnic at Low Wood ; and , among those who are to attend , the faces of Pelham and Miss Morton may be discerned . All nature