Wrecked.

( he evening before . His eye rested on a huge volume of . Shakespeare , and he stopped suddenly , exclaiming aloud , " 'There isadestiny which shapes our ends , rough "—and he paused on the word , afterwards adding—'" that is where j-ou meant the comma to be put , 'hew them as we will . ' Yes , William Shakespeare , mine are shaped , roug h hew them as I may . " He was hewing out his own destiny , and at a rapid pace .

As he walked across the room his eye rested on the signatures of two letters which lay open on a table before him ; he then might , have repeated with profit to himself , " The sight of means to do ill deeds makes ill deeds done . " But the debt of honour was uppermost in his mind , and a blank promissory note in his pocket , with those two signatares upon it , his debt of honour and other debts could be paid .

He took up one of the letters , a formal acceptance of an invitation io dinner—signed , Harold Hastings . It was so plainly written , how easy it would be to imitate , were his first thoughts . The other letter was from Sir Richard Marchester regretting his inability to be present .

He sat down at the table just to sec if he could copy a signature . With a . little perseverance he succeeded with a good imitation of both , and he smiled with satisfaction as he thought how easy it would be to borrow money with such good names on a bill , and how equall y easy to meet the liability with his card winnings when it fell due . So engrossed was he with his copy-book lesson that his sister had pushed open the door , which stood ajar , and was half-way across ( he room before he looked up .

" You are studious ; I thought you were here smoking , as usual . I have had a visitor—guess ? " and she smiled mischievously at him . " Marchester or Hastings , one of the two ; why . Hastings of course , and you have— " " Accepted him , " she answered , coming close to him and scanning the paper he was writing oji .

"I congratulate yon , he is the best of fellows . I was just about to write in his name to you , thinking it was quite time he had proposed to y ou , " and he laughed as ho showed her evidence of his intention . ' Do you think that you could equal that , Lily ? Only to think ( hat I have been anticipated ; another day , and you wonld ' have had

two offers , one from Hastings and one from Marchester . What fun it would have been to see your distress , aud to have you consulting me on the delicate point . " Again he laughed , this time at his quickwitted invention , the creation of that moment ' s imagination . He was sliding down the precipice to ruin , and circumstances were favourim ? him .

Jack Vernon was not the first man who had drawn inferences from surrounding's and events which hovered round an intention conceived at random , and ended in thinking that fate was pointing to him with her finger-post—forward . Bent upon a course , only the beginning of which he saw , its consequences ho never considered , for there were none he thought of much less dreaded .

The blank promissory 7 note m his pocket mentally crossed his eyes , and on it were two signatures , one of the man betrothed to his sister nnd tho other of the man who would have liked to be . Wh y should they not be on the bill ? Why should not all his ( roubles be ended by the mere splash of a little ink r He could

write Harold Hastings , and his sister could write Richard Marchester . If ho ever found out Marchester wonld forgive Lilian , for did he not love her , and Hastings wonld forgive him for the sake of his sister , and Hastings was rich and could meet the bill if necessary .

But there would be no necessity for his ever doing that , and there flashed past his excitetl brain p iles of gold and heaps of bank notes , the proceeds of many a night ' s gambling . Providence had come to his aid , had heard him apostrophise Shakespeare , had pitied his fate , and for once had smoothed the ends of his destiny .

Thoughts flew across his bewildered brain , fitful as the gusts of wind on a dusty street , clouding everything in front of him ; he now saw only one step of the road before him . and that one step was enough , and he meant te take it at once . Why should lie delay ? Why should he not make the plunge , and thus secure for himself a month or two of happiness .- It could be gained by a little trouble , the name of his future brother-in-law , and he would never know the useful purpose it had served .

"Now just sit down beside me , Lily , and see what you can do : here is Marchester ' s note , regretting his inability to be here next week ; I wonder what he will say when he sees your engagement announced in the Morning Post ? " but he gave her no ' time to reply , for he placed the paper before her , saying , " Begin , lesson number one . "

Lily made a good attempt . Her hand trembled a little ; she was thinking of the man , and the disappointment she divined was in store for him . She loved Harold Hastings , she liked Richard Marchester , and

beiween those two conditions there is a vast difference in a woman ' s feelings . Give a man time he will bridge over that abyss if he has a utilitarian motive to serve , but ho must have time ; he will then disregard his convictions and smother his sentimental feelings ; a woman can bridge it over by developing sentiment , creating love out of

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