street acquaintance, although unhedged by safe restrictions, is by no means indiscriminate.  The young men are brothers or friends of companions, or they are employed in the same establishment, or else reside in the neighborhood, so that usually something is known of their characters and antecedents, and the desire to become friendly is similar to that influencing the young people of country neighborhoods.  As a rule these young people have few opportunities of meeting save in the streets and places of public resort.  The conditions of life in a great city, however, differ too widely from those of a village or country town, where every one is well known and public opinion is quick and powerful in its restraints.  Social circles are too loosely organized in a city; their members from necessity are generally to little known to each other; there are too many of both sexes ready to take advantage of the innocent and unwary, and their opportunities of escape from all penalty invite the crimes suggested by their evil natures.  Belle had been often warned, and she had so much affection for her mother and so much pride that she did not fall readily into indiscretions; nor would she in the future respond, without considerable self-restraint, to the frequent advances which she never failed to recognize, however distant she might appear, and she would not have possessed a woman’s nature had she been indifferent to admiring glances and the overtures of those who would gladly form her acquaintance.  Still it must be admitted that her good resolutions were fast weakening in this direction.

Mildred’s dangers were quite different from those which assailed Belle, and yet they were very grave ones.  Her mind and heart were preoccupied.  She was protected from even the desire of perilous associations and pleasures by the delicacy and refinement of her nature and her Christian principle.  She shrank from social contact with the ruder world by which she was now surrounded; she felt and lived like one in exile, and her hope was to return to her native land.  In the meantime she was growing pale, languid, morbid, and, occasionally, even irritable, from the lack of proper exercise and change.  She was not discouraged as yet, but the day of deliverance seemed to grow more distant.  Her father apparently was declining in energy and health, and his income was very small.  She worked long hours over her fancy work, but the prices paid for it at the shops were so small that she felt with a growing despondency it was but a precarious means of support.  Their first month in the old mansion was drawing to a close, and they had been compelled to draw slightly on the small sum of ready money still remaining after paying for their summer’s board.  They still had a few articles in storage, having retained them in hope of moving, at no distant time, into more commodious quarters.