“You must take a glass of this fine champaign with me, Mr. Haley,” the young tempter said, turning upon him a most winning smile.

“Indeed, Clara—­”

“Not a word now.  I shall take no refusal.”

“I must be—­”

“Pour him out a glass, George.”

And George filled two glasses, one of which Clara lifted, with the sparkling liquor at the height of its effervescence.

“There’s the other; take it quick, before it dies,” she said, holding her own glass near her lips.

“You must excuse me, Clara.  I do not drink wine,” Mr. Haley said, as soon as he was permitted to speak, in a tone and with a manner that settled the question at once.

“Indeed, it is too bad, Mr. Haley!” Clara responded, with a half-offended air, putting her untasted glass of wine back upon the waiter,—­“to deny me so trifling a request.  I must say, that your refusal is very ungallant.  Whoever heard of a gentleman declining to take wine with a lady?”

“There certainly is an exception to the rule to-night, Clara,” the young man said.  “Still, I can assure you, that nothing ungallant was meant.  But that you know to be out of the question.  I could not be rude to any lady, much less to you.”

“O, as to that, it’s easy to make fine speeches—­but acts, you know, speak louder than words”—­Clara said, half-laughing—­half-serious.

The servant had, by this time, passed on with the untasted wine; and, of course, no further effort could be made towards driving the young man from his position.  His positive refusal to drink, however, under the circumstances, very naturally disappointed Clara.  He observed the sudden revulsion of feeling that took place in her mind, and it pained him very much.

As for her, she felt herself positively offended.  She had set her heart upon proving to her brother her power over Haley, but had signally failed in the effort.  He had proved to her immovable in his singular position.

From that time, for many weeks, there was a coldness between him and Clara.  She did not receive him with her accustomed cordiality; but seemed both hurt and offended.  To take a simple glass of champaign with her was so small a request, involving, as she reasoned, no violation of principle, that for him to refuse to do so, under all the circumstances, was almost unpardonable.

Affection, however, at last triumphed over wounded pride, but not until he had begun, seriously, to debate the question of proposing to her a dissolution of the contract existing between them.

Everything again went on smoothly enough, for there was no further effort on the part of Clara to drive her lover from his resolution.  But she still entertained the idea of doing so—­and still resolved that she would conquer him.

At last the wedding-day was set, and both looked forward to its approach with feelings of pure delight.  Their friends, without an exception, approved the match; and well they might, for he was a man of known integrity, fine intellect, and cultivated tastes; and she a young woman in every way fitted to unite with him in marriage bonds.