His was, in short, the pleasure-loving temperament, not positively sinful or sensual, but still holding pleasure as the greatest good; and regarding what deeper natures call "duty," and find therein their strong-hold and consolation, as a mere bugbear or a sentimental theory, or an impossible folly.
Poor lad! and he had the world to fight with; how would it use him?
Even if no heavy sorrows for himself or others smote him, his handsome face would have to grow old, his strong frame to meet sickness--death .-- How would he do it?
That is the thought which always recurs.

What is the end of such men as these?
Alas! the answer would come from hospital wards, alms-houses and work-houses, debtors' prisons and lunatic asylums.
To apprehensions like this--except the last, happily it was as yet too far off--Hilary had been slowly and sadly arriving about Ascott for weeks past; and her conversation with him to-night seemed to make them darken down upon her with added gloom.

As she went up stairs she set her lips together hard.
"I see there is nobody to do any thing except me.

But I must not tell Johanna." She lay long awake, planning every conceivable scheme for saving money; till at length, her wits sharpened by the desperation of the circumstances, there flashed upon her an idea that came out of a talk she had had with Elizabeth that morning.

True, it was a perfectly new and untried chance--and a mere chance; still it was right to overlook nothing.