Early the next morning, Marston called at the residence of his friend, in order to make an apology for having offended him; but he happened not to be at home.  On arriving at his office, he found a note from Arnest, couched in the most offensive terms.  The language was such as to extinguish all desire or intention to apologize.

“Henceforth we are strangers,” he said, as he thrust the note aside.

An hour afterward, they met on the street, looked coldly into each other’s face, and passed without even a nod.  That act sealed the record of estrangement.

Mr. Wellford was an old gentleman who was well acquainted with both of the young men, and esteemed them for the good qualities they possessed.  When he heard of the occurrence just related, he was much grieved, and sought to heal the breach that had been made; but without success.  Arnest’s self-esteem had been sorely wounded, and he would not forgive what he considered a wanton outrage.  Marston felt himself deeply insulted by the note he had received, and maintained that he would forfeit his self-respect were he to hold any intercourse whatever with a man who could, on so small a provocation, write such a scandalous letter.  Thus the matter stood; wounded self-esteem on one side, and insulted self-respect on the other, not only maintaining the breach, but widening it every day.  Mr Wellford used his utmost influence with his young friends to bend them from their anger, but he argued the matter in vain.  The voice of pride was stronger than the voice of reason.

Months were suffered to go by, and even years to elapse, and still they were as strangers.  Circumstances threw them constantly together; they met in places of business; they sat in full view of each other in church on the holy Sabbath; they mingled in the same social circles; the friends of one were the friends of the other; but they rarely looked into each other’s face, and never spoke.  Did this make them happier?  No!  For, “If ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your heavenly Father forgive your trespasses.”  Did they feel indifferent toward each other?  Not by any means!  Arnest still dwelt on and magnified the provocation he had received, but thought that the expression of his indignation had not been of a character to give as great offence to Marston as it had done.  And Marston, as time passed, thought more and more lightly of the few jesting words he had spoken, and considered them less and less provocation for the insulting note he had received, which he still had, and sometimes turned up and read.

The old friends were forced to think of each other often, for both were rising in the world, and rising into general esteem and respectability.  The name of the one was often mentioned with approbation in the presence of the other; and it sometimes happened that they were thrown together in such a way as to render their position toward each other really embarrassing:  as, for instance, one was called to preside at a public meeting, and the other chosen secretary.  Neither could refuse, and there had to be an official intercourse between them; it was cold and formal in the extreme; and neither could see as he looked into the eyes of the other, a glimmer of the old light of friendship.