After All.

Shall we reveal his love-letter , gentle reader , his first love-letter , full of pas sionate confession of affection , or are you acquainted with too much of this kind of literature ? But each has his own mode of confessing , and perhaps Arthur Humberton ' s may be interesting in its way . We shall , therefore , take advantage of our privilege , and not consider that we are committing a breach of confidence in publishing his epistle . It ran as follows :

" MY DEAREST OLIVIA , —Pardon me thus addressing you so familiarly , but from the short and pleasant acquaintance we have had ( only too short , but very , very pleasant ) , I am sure that you are already very dear to me . I am more bold in speaking so candidly from the feeling of my heart , because I know your tender and kind nature , and that in your own affectionate heartyoulove the honesttruth . Is it not so ? Am I not right ? May Inot say without exaggeration that you are the dearest creature I ever saw , the sweetest girl in nature . Last night , in your presence , I spent the happiest moments of my life . Never shall I forget it , and now in your absence I feel like a miserable exile . It seems so long since I saw and yet it was

you , only last night . How grateful I feel to you that I may write , may put my thoughts of you down on paper , and send them for your darling eyes to look at . Oh , such eyes ! Who could help admiring you , the fairest of creation ? This is not . flattery . As far as my knowled ^ eof female beauty extends ( and it has not been inextensive in crowded London ) , I have never seen anything to equal your delicate beauty and purity of action . Can you then wonder at mj liking you ? Can you wonder that all I now look on but you is distasteful and repellant ? I seem to live in a-desolate , isolated world , away from all I care for , ay , love . Love , yes , I have said it

, for I love you intensely , though I ' m afraid the moss-rose-tree has been planted out , while the deep-red rose-tree languishes alone . But perhaps I am saying too much . Oh , this is a cruel world to shut me out from you ; but I will win a name and fame , and trust to the future ! Oh , that I could be ever with you . I seem to have known you a long time in those few , short , fleeting hours of last night , and now I seem to have lost half my -life in losing you . I shall always be thinking of yon ( indeed , I cannot think of anything else now ) , as I plod along in this work-a-day world ; you shall stimulate me to work with a will ; for you will court fame would do

I ; I anything . May I hope that you will sometimes think of me ; that I shall not be altogether forgotten P Might I wildly hope that a little of my love for you is reciprocated , that you are not altogether indifferent to me . I wait in suspense until I hear from you . Do not let it be long first if yon love me . Ah , bold word ! But if you will only endorse it , how happy I shall be . Dear charmer , I must close this letter ; were I to continue writing of your beauty and virtues I might never stop , and now with endless kisses ( oh , rapture !) and love . —Believe me , to be ever your faithful lover , "ARTHUB HTOIBEHTON . ' P . S . —Please write soon . "

There , that was Arthur Humberton ' s morning work , or most of it . He finished the letter with a si gh , ancl sealed it with great care . Now for posting it , ancl then the thought came to him that Mr . ancl Mrs . Phane would both become aware of his attention to their daughter , ancl he hardl y knew in what li ght they would view it . True , they were kind , genial people ; but Mr . Phane had a touch of pride in him ; ancl then Arthur became dismayed at their difference in social position . How could he , a poor clerk , hope to be a suitable

match for the daughter of Mr . Phane , in the eyes of the rich merchant . His case looked almost hopeless , and yet he determined he would dare anything for Miss Phane . The letter must be delivered in some way , let the consequences be what thev would .

Ihe rest of the day wore over wearily enough , while Arthur considered how he must act . He wished to be honourable , but he thought it no dishonour to win the heart of Mr . Phane ' s daughter without his knowledge , at least , until he knew that she was willing to correspond ancl return his affection fully . What must he do , then ? He could not post the letter in the ordinary way , and what other was there ?

These were his thoughts , and Merrisslope ' s bantering , Redtaper ' s insinuation , ancl Bulliker ' s bullying , seemed very vulgar annoyances to him , though he bore them with a better grace than usual . But at length the long weary day ringeth to evensong . " He left the office with a hurried step , ancl instead of walking homewards , he bent his steps towards the residence of Mr . Phane . He knew not Q 2