of man, and may you never learn too much. Beware,
beware, beware, Amanda. Happy the ignorant, hap-
py is the woman whom no false man has taught
to distrust his sex! Man's love to woman is as evan-
escent as is the presence of the summer-morning mist,
that, for an hour or so, hugs lovingly the lea, then
vanishes for ever. What are his vows but vapour?
Poor, rash girl, why, without warning me, have you
opened the horn-book of love, and spelled at such a
speed, that, in a day's time, you have read as far as
warier maids dare con in years?" And Amanda
looked both abashed and amazed; but at length
enquired in wonder:

"What may you mean by these strange utterances?
Nay, nay, dear Mona: you slander your own father by
this language."

"Thou canst not say, child, that I slander thine,"
responded Mona, tartly; and her countenance darken-
ed with an equivocal expression new to Amanda, who,
catching at the inuendo, earnestly demanded,

"Who was my father? tell me, for you know; I
myself know, I feel, (and not untrustworthy is this
intuition) that I am not here a mere fortuitous
foundling. Who was my mother? I charge you to
inform me."

"Girl, had not man been false, you had not needed
to have so often asked of me that question," Mona
replied with a cynical expression, and hoarse, sepul-
chral voice, that, whilst it seemed to vindicate her-
self, reproved her fellow, on whose face an air of hor-
ror now mantled, as she excitedly exclaimed:

"Say more, or else unsay what you have already
uttered. What must be understood from this alarm-

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v?