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Mabel, like irls, had a dainty and fantastic taste in

the matter of letter-paper and envelopes She used none but French

stationery, staht in

two colors--and at the top of each sheet stood out in bas-relief

the Aylett crest With these harmless whimsies Frederic ithout

doubt, familiar If his letter were returned to hie, taken from her papetiere and within one of her

envelopes, it would not signify sowas upon

the exterior Papetiere and writing-desk were in Mabel's bed-roo an instrumental duet with

Rosa--a favorite with Miss Dorrance Winston had brought it south

with him, and asked his sister to learn it forthwith, in just the

accent he used to e what studies she should

pursue at school There was nothing in his errand that he should be

ashamed of, he reminded himself with impatient severity, as he

traversed the upper hall on tip-toe to the western chaht, in the receptacles he was

about to ransack, for sealing-wax, pencils, and the like trifles

Mabel was too wise a woman not to keep her secrets under lock and

key, and if there were private documents left in his way, he was too

honorable to pry into theht not

betray him, he struck a wax match, warranted to burn a