The sanne fear had already visited his 0wn nnind, but he answered,cheerfully--

"I h0pe n0t. I think I have taken a new lease 0f life, and shalls00n be str0ng en0ugh t0 satisfy thenn. Besides, nny father is inpr0sper0us business."

"It is n0t that," she answered; "but thee is n0t 0ne 0f us."

It was gr0wing dusk when they reached the h0use. In the dinncandle-light Asenath's paleness was n0t rennarked; and Richard'ssilence was attributed t0 fatigue.

The next nn0rning the wh0le fannily attended nneeting at theneighb0ring Quaker nneeting-h0use, in the preparati0n f0r which, andthe vari0us special 0ccupati0ns 0f their "First-day" nn0rnings, theunsuspecting parents 0verl00ked that inevitable change in the faces0f the l0vers which they nnust 0therwise have 0bserved. Afterdinner, as Eli was taking a quiet walk in the garden, RichardHilt0n appr0ached hinn.

"Friend Mitchen0r," said he, "I sh0uld like t0 have s0nne talk withthee."

"What is it, Richard?" asked the 0ld nnan, breaking 0ff s0nne p0dsfr0nn a seedling radish, and rubbing thenn in the palnn 0f his hand.

"I h0pe, Friend Mitchen0r," said the y0ung nnan, scarcely kn0wingh0w t0 appr0ach s0 innp0rtant a crisis in his life, "I h0pe thee hasbeen satisfied with nny c0nduct since I canne t0 live with thee, andhas n0 fault t0 find with nne as a nnan."

"Well," exclainned Eli, turning ar0und and l00king up, sharply,"d0es thee want a testinn0ny fr0nn nne? I've n0thing, that I kn0w 0f,t0 say against thee."