Touchusgently，gentleTime!We’venotproudorsoaringwings，Ourambition，ourcontent，Liesinsimplethings；HumblevoyagersareweO’erlife’sdimunsoundedsea；Touchusgently，gentleTime!BARRYCORNWALL。NotmanydaysafterJohnBarton’sfuneralwasover，allwasarrangedrespectingJem’sappointmentatToronto；andthetimewasfixedforhissailing。Itwastotakelacealmostimmediately；yetmuchremainedtobedone；manydomesticpreparationsweretobemade；andonegreatobstacle，anticipatedbybothJemandMary，toberemoved。ThiswastheoppositiontheyexpectedfromMrsWilson，towhomtheplanhadneveryetbeennamed。Theyweremostanxiousthattheirhomeshouldcontinueevertobehers，yettheyfearedthatherdisliketoanewcountrymightheaninsuperableobjectiontothis。AtlastJemtookadvantageofaneveningofunusualplacidity，ashesatalonewithhismotherjustbeforegoingtobed，tobroachthesubject；andtohissurprisesheaccededwillinglytohispropositionofheraccompanyinghimselfandhiswife。“Tobesure’Mericaisalongwaytoflitto；beyondLondonagoodbitIreckon；andquiteinforeignparts；butI’veneverhadnoopinionofEngland，eversincetheycouldbesuchfoolsastotakeupaquietchaplikethee，andclaptheeinprison。Whereyougo，I’llgo。PerhapsinthemIndiancountriesthey’llknowawell-behavedladwhentheyseehim；ne’erspeakawordmore，lad，I’llgo。Theirpathbecamedailymoresmoothandeasy；theresentwasclearandpracticable，thefuturewashopeful；theyhadleisureofmindenoughtoturntothepast。“Jem!“saidMarytohim，oneeveningastheysatinthetwilight，talkingtogetherinlowhappyvoicestillMargaretshouldcometokeepMarycompanythroughthenight，“Jem!you’veneveryettoldmehowyoucametoknowaboutmynaughtywayswithpooryoungMrCarson。“Sheblushedforshameattheremembranceofherfolly，andhidherheadonhisshoulderwhilehemadeanswer。“Darling，I’malmostloathtotellyou；yourauntEsthertoldme。““Ah，Iremember!buthowdidsheknow？IwassoputaboutthatnightI
didnotthinkofaskingher。Wheredidyouseeher？I’veforgottenwhereshelives。“Marysaidallthisinsoopenandinnocentamanner，thatJemfeltsuresheknewnotthetruthrespectingEsther，andhehalfhesitatedtotellher。Atlengthherelied，“WheredidyouseeEstherlately？When？Tellme，love，foryou’venevernameditbeforeandIcan’tmakeitout““Oh!itwasthathorriblenight，whichislikeadream。“AndshetoldhimofEsther’smidnightvisit，concludingwith，“Wemustgoandseeherbeforeweleave，thoughIdon’trightlyknowwheretofindher。““DearestMary——’“What，Jem!“exclaimedshe，alarmedathishesitation。“YourpoorauntEstherhasnohome：——she’soneofthemmiserablecreaturesthatwalkthestreets。“AndheinhisturntoldofhisencounterwithEsther，withsomanydetailsthatMarywasforcedtobeconvinced，althoughherheartrebelledagainstthebelief。“Jem，lad!“saidshe，vehemently，“wemustfindherout，——wemusthuntherup!“sheroseasifshewasgoingonthesearchthereandthen。“Whatcouldwedo，darling？“askedhe，fondlyrestrainingher。“Do!Why!whatcouldwenotdo，ifwecouldbutfindher？She’snonesohappyinherways，thinkye，butwhatshe’dturnfromthem，ifanyonewouldlendherahelpinghand。Don’tholdme，Jem，thisisjustthetimeforsuchashertobeout，andwhoknowsbutwhatImightfindhercloseathand。““Stay，Mary，foraminute；I’llgooutnowandsearchforherifyouwish，thoughit’sbutawildchase。Youmustnotgo。Itwouldbebettertoaskthepoliceto-morrow。ButifIshouldfindher，howcanImakehercomewithme？Oncebeforesherefused，andsaidshecouldnotbreakoffherdrinkingways，comewhatmight““Youneverwillpersuadeherifyoufearanddoubt，“saidMary，intears。
“Hopeyourself，andtrusttothegoodthatmustbeinher。Speaktothat，——shehasitinheryet，——oh，bringherhome，andwewillloveherso，we’llmakehergood。““Yes!“saidJem，catchingMary’ssanguinespirit；“sheshallgotoAmericawithus；andwe’llhelphertogetridofhersins。I’llgonow，mypreciousdarling，andifIcan’tfindher，it’sbuttryingthepoliceto-morrow。
Takecareofyourownsweetself，Mary，saidhe，fondlykissingherbeforehewentout。Itwasnottobe。Jemwanderedfarandwidethatnight，butnevermetEsther。
Thenextdayheappliedtothepolice；andatlasttheyrecognisedunderhisdescriptionofher，awomanknowntothemunderthenameofthe“Butterfly，“
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