"Ella, Ella, that is hardly fair," said Arthur, while his cheek became slightly flushed.
"But what did he say about us, Ella?" Agnes inquired, smiling half mischievously at his evident embarrassment.
"Say, all sorts of things; he declared that the great majority of us care for little else but pleasure; that the idea of exerting our influence for good is one that we seldom ever entertain, and he wound up his exceedingly edifying lecture by a dismal story of a lady, whose persuasions induced a friend of his to break a promise which he had made to abstain from intoxicating liquors, and was, thereby, led to an untimely death."
"You have been bringing very grave charges against our sex, Mr. Bernard," said Agnes, with a sweet seriousness, that, however unusual, well became her fair youthful face; "and I am afraid we should have to plead guilty in too many instances. Still, even those who appear the most thoughtless, have their hours of reflection, no doubt, when they feel the utter insipidity of a life of pleasure—false pleasure—and form many resolutions to abandon it; but habit is strong, and example powerful, and once immersed in the gayeties of life, nothing short of strength from above can make them to 'come out from the world, and to become separate.'"
A deeper shade of seriousness passed over Agnes's expressive countenance as she uttered these words. It was evident they had evoked some painful recollections, and, as Arthur gazed on the down-cast face, on the long silken eyelashes that but half concealed the tear that unhidden rose to the lustrous eye, and observed her lip quivering with suppressed emotion, he easily divined, from his previous conversation with his sister, the cause of her agitation.
"She has suffered, and in the cause of truth," was his mental ejaculation. Oh, to have the privilege of cheering and sustaining one so lovely! but
"Man may not hope her heart to win,
Be his of common mould."
CHAPTER IV.
A few select friends had assembled at Mrs. Bernard's, to celebrate Ella's birthday.