the encouragement of aspiring
youth. This article, of course unsigned, came from the pen of Jasper Milvain.
    It was only by indirect channels that Jasper learnt how Marian and her
parents had been provided for. Dora's correspondence with her friend soon
languished; in the nature of things this could not but happen; and about the
time when Alfred Yule became totally blind the girls ceased to hear anything of
each other. An event which came to pass in the spring sorely tempted Dora to
write, but out of good feeling she refrained.
    For it was then that she at length decided to change her name for that of
Whelpdale. Jasper could not quite reconcile himself to this condescension; in
various discourses he pointed out to his sister how much higher she might look
if she would only have a little patience.
    »Whelpdale will never be a man of any note. A good fellow, I admit, but
borné in all senses. Let me impress upon you, my dear girl, that I have a future
before me, and that there is no reason - with your charm of person and mind -
why you should not marry brilliantly. Whelpdale can give you a decent home, I
admit, but as regards society he will be a drag upon you.«
    »It happens, Jasper, that I have promised to marry him,« replied Dora, in a
significant tone.
    »Well, I regret it, but - you are of course your own mistress. I shall make
no unpleasantness. I don't dislike Whelpdale, and I shall remain on friendly
terms with him.«
    »That is very kind of you,« said his sister suavely.
    Whelpdale was frantic with exultation. When the day of the wedding had been
settled, he rushed into Jasper's study and fairly shed tears before he could
command his voice.
    »There is no mortal on the surface of the globe one-tenth so happy as I am!«
he gasped. »I can't believe it! Why in the name of sense and justice have I been
suffered to attain this blessedness? Think of the days when I all but starved in
my Albany Street garret, scarcely better off than poor, dear old Biffen! Why
should I have come to this, and Biffen have poisoned himself in despair? He was
a thousand times a better and cleverer fellow than I. And poor old Reardon, dead
in misery! Could I for a moment compare with him?«
    »My dear fellow,« said Jasper, calmly, »compose yourself and be logical. In
the first place