we　must　come　to　a　right　understanding；　we　must。　　I　ask
  you　again；　Mabel；　if　you　had　known　that　Jasper　Western
  loves　you　as　well　as　I　do；　or　better　perhaps；　though　that　is
  scarcely　possible；　that　in　his　dreams　he　sees　your　face　in
  the　water　of　the　lake；　that　he　talks　to　you；　and　of　you；　in
  his　sleep；　fancies　all　that　is　beautiful　like　Mabel　Dunham；
  and　all　that　is　good　and　virtuous；　believes　he　never　knowed
  happiness　until　he　knowed　you；　could　kiss　the　ground　on
  which　you　have　trod；　and　forgets　all　the　joys　of　his　call…
  ing　to　think　of　you　and　the　delight　of　gazing　at　your
  beauty　and　in　listening　to　your　voice；　would　you　then　have
  consented　to　marry　me？〃
  Mabel　could　not　have　answered　this　question　if　she
  would；　but；　though　her　face　was　buried　in　her　hands；　the
  tint　of　the　rushing　blood　was　visible　between　the　open…
  ings；　and　the　suffusion　seemed　to　impart　itself　to　her　very
  fingers。　　Still　nature　asserted　her　power；　for　there　was　a
  single　instant　when　the　astonished；　almost　terrified　girl
  stole　a　glance　at　Jasper；　as　if　distrusting　Pathfinder's　his…
  tory　of　his　feelings；　read　the　truth　of　all　he　said　in　that
  furtive　look；　and　instantly　concealed　her　face　again；　as　if
  she　would　hide　it　from　observation　for　ever。
  〃Take　time　to　think；　Mabel；〃　the　guide　continued；　〃for
  it　is　a　solemn　thing　to　accept　one　man　for　a　husband　while
  the　thoughts　and　wishes　lead　to　another。　　Jasper　and　I
  have　talked　this　matter　over；　freely　and　like　old　friends；
  and；　though　I　always　knowed　that　we　viewed　most　things
  pretty　much　alike；　I　couldn't　have　thought　that　we　re…
  garded　any　particular　object　with　the　very　same　eyes；　as
  it　might　be；　until　we　opened　our　minds　to　each　other　about
  you。　　Now　Jasper　owns　that　the　very　first　time　he　beheld
  you；　he　thought　you　the　sweetest　and　winningestest　crea…
  tur'　he　had　ever　met；　that　your　voice　sounded　like　mur…
  muring　water　in　his　ears；　that　he　fancied　his　sails　were　your
  garments　fluttering　in　the　wind；　that　your　laugh　haunted
  him　in　his　sleep；　and　that　ag'in　and　ag'in　has　he　started
  up　affrighted；　because　he　has　fancied　some　one　wanted　to
  force　you　out　of　the　_Scud_；　where　he　imagined　you　had
  taken　up　your　abode。　　Nay；　the　lad　has　even　acknowledged
  that　he　often　weeps　at　the　thought　that　you　are　likely　to
  spend　your　days　with　another；　and　not　with　him。〃
  〃Jasper！〃
  〃It's　solemn　truth；　Mabel；　and　it's　right　you　should　know
  it。　　Now　stand　up；　and　choose　'atween　us。　　I　do　believe
  Eau…douce　loves　you　as　well　as　I　do　myself；　he　has　tried
  to　persuade　me　that　he　loves　you　better；　but　that　I　will
  not　allow；　for　I　do　not　think　it　possible；　but　I　will　own
  the　boy　loves　you；　heart　and　soul；　and　he　has　a　good　right
  to　be　heard。　　The　Sergeant　left　me　your　protector；　and
  not　your　tyrant。　　I　told　him　that　I　would　be　a　father　to
  you　as　well　as　a　husband；　and　it　seems　to　me　no　feeling
  father　would　deny　his　child　this　small　privilege。　　Stand
  up；　Mabel；　therefore；　and　speak　your　thoughts　as　freely　as
  if　I　were　the　Sergeant　himself；　seeking　your　good；　and
  nothing　else。〃
  Mabel　dropped　her　hands；　arose；　and　stood　face　to　face
  with　her　two　suitors；　though　the　flush　that　was　on　her
  cheeks　was　feverish；　the　evidence　of　excitement　rather
  than　of　shame。
  〃What　would　you　have；　Pathfinder？〃　she　asked；　〃have
  I　not　already　promised　my　poor　father　to　do　all　you　de…
  sire？〃
  〃Then　I　desire　this。　　Here　I　stand；　a　man　of　the　forest
  and　of　little　larning；　though　I　fear　with　an　ambition　be…
  yond　my　desarts；　and　I'll　do　my　endivors　to　do　justice　to
  both　sides。　　In　the　first　place；　it　is　allowed　that；　so　far　as
  feelings　in　your　behalf　are　consarned；　we　love　you　just　the
  same；　Jasper　thinks　his　feelings　_must_　be　the　strongest；
  but　this　I　cannot　say　in　honesty；　for　it　doesn't　seem　to　me
  that　it　_can_　be　true；　else　I　would　frankly　and　freely　confess　it；
  I　would。　　So　in　this　particular；　Mabel；　we　are　here　before
  you　on　equal　tarms。　　As　for　myself；　being　the　oldest；　I'll
  first　say　what　little　can　be　produced　in　my　favor；　as　well
  as　ag'in　it。　　As　a　hunter；　I　do　think　there　is　no　man　near
  the　lines　that　can　outdo　me。　　If　venison；　or　bear's　meat；
  or　even　birds　and　fish；　should　ever　be　scarce　in　our　cabin；
  it　would　be　more　likely　to　be　owing　to　natur'　and　Provi…
  dence　than　to　any　fault　of　mine。　　In　short；　it　does　seem
  to　me　that　the　woman　who　depended　on　me　would　never
  be　likely　to　want　for　food。　　But　I'm　fearful　ignorant！　　It's
  true　I　speak　several　tongues；　such　as　they　be；　while　I'm
  very　far　from　being　expart　at　my　own。　　Then；　my　years
  are　greater　than　your　own；　Mabel；　and　the　circumstance　that
  I　was　so　long　the　Sergeant's　comrade　can　be　no　great　merit
  in　your　eyes。　　I　wish；　too；　I　was　more　comely；　I　do；　but
  we　are　all　as　natur'　made　us；　and　the　last　thing　that　a　man
  ought　to　lament；　except　on　very　special　occasions；　is　his
  looks。　　When　all　is　remembered；　age；　looks；　learning；　and
  habits；　Mabel；　conscience　tells　me　I　ought　to　confess　that
  I'm　altogether　unfit　for　you；　if　not　downright　unworthy；
  and　I　would　give　up　the　hope　this　minute；　I　would；　if　I
  didn't　feel　something　pulling　at　my　heart…strings　which
  seems　hard　to　undo。〃
  〃Pathfinder！　noble；　generous　Pathfinder！〃　cried　our
  heroine；　seizing　his　hand　and　kissing　it　with　a　species　of
  holy　reverence；　〃you　do　yourself　injustice　　you　forget　my
  poor　father　and　your　promise　　you　do　not　know　_me_！〃
  〃Now；　here's　Jasper；〃　continued　the　guide；　without　al…
  lowing　the　girl's　caresses　to　win　him　from　his　purpose；
  〃with　_him_　the　case　is　different。　　In　the　way　of　providing；
  as　in　that　of　loving；　there's　not　much　to　choose　'atween
  us；　for　the　lad　is　frugal；　industrious；　and　careful。　　Then
  he　is　quite　a　scholar；　knows　the　tongue　of　the　Frenchers；
  reads　many　books；　and　some；　I　know；　that　you　like　to　read
  yourself；　can　understand　you　at　all　times；　which；　perhaps；
  is　more　than　I　can　say　for　myself。〃
  〃What　of　all　this？〃　interrupted　Mabal　impatiently；
  〃why　speak　of　it　now　　why　speak　of　it　at　all？〃
  〃Then　the　lad　has　a　manner　of　letting　his　thoughts　be
  known；　that　I　fear　I　can　never　equal。　　If　there's　anything
  on　'arth　that　would　make　my　tongue　bold　and　persuading；
  Mabel；　I　do　think　it's　yourself；　and　yet　in　our　late　conver…
  sations　Jasper　has　outdone　me；　even　on　this　point；　in　a
  way　to　make　me　ashamed　of　myself。　　He　has　told　me　how
  simple　you　were；　and　how　true…hearted；　and　kind…hearted；
  and　how　you　looked　down　upon　vanities；　for　though　you
  might　be　the　wife　of　more　than　one　officer；　as　he　thinks；
  that　you　cling　to　feeling；　and　would　rather　be　true　to
  yourself　and　natur'　than　a　colonel's　lady。　　He　fairly　made
  my　blood　warm；　he　did；　when　he　spoke　of　your　having
  beauty　without　seeming　ever　to　have　looked　upon　it；　and
  the　manner　in　which　you　moved　about　like　a　young　fa'n；
  so　nat'ral　and　graceful　like；　without　knowing　it；　and　the
  truth　and　justice　of　your　idees；　and　the　warmth　and　gener…
  osity　of　your　heart　　〃
  〃Jasper！〃　interrupted　Mabel；　giving　way　to　feelings
  that　had　gathered　an　ungovernable　force　by　being　so　long
  pent；　and　falling　into　the　young　man's　willing　arms；　weep…
  ing　like　a　child；　and　almost　as　helpless。　　〃Jasper！　　Jasper！
  why　have　you　kept　this　from　me？〃
  The　answer　of　Eau…douce　was　not　very　intelligible；　nor
  was　the　murmured　dialogue　that　followed　remarkable　for
  coherency。　　But　the　language　of　affection　is　easily　under…
  stood。　　The　hour　that　succeeded　passed　like　a　very　few
  minutes　of　ordinary　life；　so　far　as　a　computation　of　time
  was　concerned；　and　when　Mabel　recollected　herself；　and
  bethought　her　of　the　existence　of　others；　her　uncle　was　pac…
  ing　the　cutter's　deck　in　great　impatience；　and　wondering
  why　Jasper　should　be　losing　so　much　of　a　favorable　wind。
  Her　first　thought　was　of　him；　who　was　so　likely　to　feel　the
  recent　betrayal　of　her　real　emotions。
  〃Oh；　Jasper；〃　she　exclaimed；　like　one　suddenly　self…
  convicted；　〃the　Pathfinder！〃
  Eau…douce　fairly　trembled；　not　with　unmanly　apprehen…
  sion；　but　with　the　painful　conviction　of　the　pang　he　had
  given　his　friend；　and　he　looked　in　all　directions　in　the
  expectation　of　seeing　his　person。　　But　Pathfinder　had
  withdrawn；　with　a　tact　and　a　delicacy　that　might　have
  done　credit　to　the　sensibility　and　breeding　of　a　courtier。
  For　several　minutes　the　two　lovers　sat；　silently　waiting　his
  return；　uncertain　what　propriety　required　of　them　under
  circumstances　so　marked　and　so　peculiar。　　At　length　they
  beheld　their　friend　advancing　slowly　towards　them；　with
  a　thoughtful　and　even　pensive　air。
  〃I　now　understand　what　you　meant；　Jasper；　by　speaking
  without　a　tongue　and　hearing　without　an　ear；〃　he　said
  when　close　enough　to　the　tree　to　be　heard。　　〃Yes；　I　un…
  derstand　it　now；　I　do；　and　a　very　pleasant　sort　of　discourse
  it　is；　when　one　can　hold　it　with　Mabel　Dunham。　　Ah's　me！
  I　told　the　Sergeant　I　wasn't　fit　for　her；　that　I　was　too
  old；　too　ignorant；　and　too　wild　like；　but　he　_would_　have　it
  otherwise。〃
  Jasper　and　Mabel　sat；　resembling　Milton's　picture　of
  our　first　parents；　when　the　consciousness　of　sin　first　laid
  its　leaden　weight　on　their　souls。　　Neither　spoke；　neither
  even　moved；　though　both　at　that　moment　fancied　they
  could　part　with　their　new…found　happiness　in　order　to　re…
  store　their　friend　to　his　peace　of　mind